Fallen Queen
by Everlastingangel09
Summary: Konella doesn't recall who she once was years before Haji found her. He saved her, guided and trained her to become a protector to Saya. Still she feels out of place, like there is another part of herself missing. The closer she became to Saya, the more alienated she felt, before long she felt something emerge: Truth.
1. The Meeting

**I do not own Blood+ or any of it's wonderful characters. I only take credit for my own OC and spin. Credit goes to: Director ****_Junichi Fujisaku, Produced by: Hirofumi Moritomi Hiroo Maruyama, Tomonori Ochikoshi, Katsuji Morishita. Written by: _****_Asuka Katsura_**

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**The Meeting**

The sound of a melody so soft and calming it puts even birds to shame. Several silhouettes stood amongst the white ball setting—no features shown no matter how hard you looked. A man—no older than I—reached out his hand towards me with a gentle sort of grace I'm not accustomed to. The song in the air filled my soul, and every breath I took whisked me away into the man's arms. Our beating hearts thrummed together as the man held me close to his chest and carried me into the sky as if grew wings to fly. This fantasy of a memory haunted her for many years without giving way to making out features of the man she craved. But each time she slept, however briefly, this very dream always returned as if trying to tell her something. In turn she kept pursuing the dream seeking answers.

A loud whistle woke her out of her reverie. Eyes fluttered open slowly to the rising sun peeking over the mountains in the distance and her mind came back to its present day. No snow. No song. Indefinitely no one taking hold of her hand to dance with her.

"I wonder what day it is?" Having been asleep for a couple of hours—perhaps days—she looked around to find Haji's belongings still lying around still the same as when she fell asleep. "No more than a day then." Walking around to stretch her legs and feeling the pang of hunger start to bother her, she searched the basket Haji left for her that should have some food for her still.  
Nothing.

"Well that's rather disappointing."

"Perhaps if I made it in time before waking you wouldn't have been feeling that."  
Turning to find Haji at the entrance holding a basket of food, he approached with his usual stoic expression and handed it to her. "I have found Saya."

"Have you?" Taking an apple and looking up at him, he seemed perplexed about his findings. "Are you not happy finding her after all this time?"  
He looked away and out towards the scenery and slowly let out a sigh. "She didn't recognize me. Rather, she knew nothing of me…"

"Oh…" taking another bite and thinking to herself of the tales he told her of, it must have been such a shock to him. "Maybe because she woke up early her memories haven't recollected yet."

"I hope that is true. Her purpose in life is far too important for her to easily forget."  
A moment of silence passed between them as she quietly ate the food. The rising sun giving color to the dark abandoned building, dust could be seen floating around the air. Quietly Haji stood and grabbed his cello case, opening it gently and unlocking a secret compartment wielding Saya's katana. Holding it carefully and examining the blade before polishing it, he glanced at me staring and softly smiled.

"Would you like to learn to wield it?"  
I shook my head and couldn't help but feel like that was a mocking comment. "The sword just isn't my style. The daggers you crafted for me are more than enough."  
He quietly acknowledged it and began his work maintaining the blade's polish and structure. It was an odd katana, always thought it was, but it gave pleasure to Haji each time he held it and bringing a soft expression to his cold stature. I glanced to the musical instrument he always carries around and felt my hands itch to play it. Not having touched it in several months since pursuing Saya, it's become quite a longing. Though I was allowed to play whenever wished, somehow playing it seemed more sad than uplifting. "Haji…what was she like when you saw her?"  
He stopped cleaning the blade and looked up. Blinking for several seconds and giving thought to his words, he seemed endeared to tell his encounter that it made my heart feel a twinge I couldn't recognize. All these years of traveling the world and still could never read his thoughts or emotions unless he speaks of her.

"She was like a normal schoolgirl. Innocent and oblivious to the danger this world has. Listening to my cello playing and falling into the flower bed just across the street she made such a fool of herself." His eyes spoke of different words. He was filled with such delight without showing such emotions on the outside. Traveling with such a man has taught me to read people carefully rather than believe in just their words, but still he makes it difficult even for me to read him. "If I could let Saya have this life till she sleeps again I would. But she has a duty she must fulfill that she cannot forget or go back on." The sadness that came into his tone and the hurt he showed told me enough. I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and let that be the end of the conversation. Knowing full well everything he's done is for this purpose of hers without telling me of it, I knew that the hardest part has yet to come.

"I hope she will come to like me when we meet."

"She is a kind soul, Konella. Once we approach her and have her drink my blood I will explain to her—"

"How about we don't say anything about me till after she knows me herself?" Not meaning to cut him off, he seemed perplexed. "Think about it, Haji. Coming out to her about what she needs to do is already enough of a strain. Telling her about a half chevalier with no background might be a bit of an earful."

"But without her blood we won't know if that will make you whole."

"In theory only," I say with the best smile I could make. "You found me in the middle of nowhere in Russia during your travels and assumed of me being a chevalier. Understandable after attacking you for your blood," sheepishly laughing to the memory. He looked despondent. "Haji…I'm scared to know the truth of my past. Scared that what you say might be true, and also terrified that by drinking her blood might actually kill me. Let's just wait and let it all unfold naturally, ok?"  
He gave no response for a long while. But before long he did come around and agreed to my whimsical plea.

"Thank you Haji."

Spending the afternoon cleaning our weapons and preparing to meet Saya, night had come faster than we thought and then it happened. The cry of a chiropteran. Not a word was spoken as we grabbed our things and took off towards the enemy. Neither of us knew what to expect when we reached the creature, but we both knew that a chiropteran being nearby Saya is bound to stir trouble.


	2. The Meeting Pt2

The roaring came from a school not too far off where we were at. Though the day was over with, my knowledge about school hours was not wrong that no one should even be here this late. landing just close enough to scope the grounds before Haji prepared his cello case and braced for another jump over the fence. There was another scream echoing the courtyard and Haji tensed.  
"It's Saya," Haji spoke quickly before rushing into the grounds.  
Unable to see at first, but there in the courtyard looking horrified at the tree stood a girl perhaps no older than 16 being stared down by the beast next to a dead man lying on the ground.

"She's so young," shocked to see her for the first time, my afterthoughts would have to come later once I assisted Haji in getting rid of the chiropteran.

The moment happened as quickly as a second breath. Haji threw a dagger at the beasts' head to grab its attention away from Saya as she fell backwards out of fear. Coming from above with daggers in hand and landing on top the beasts' shoulders to drive the two blades into its chest, Saya scurried onto her feet and ran. Kicking off from the beast and running after Saya while Haji took care of the rest, I followed Saya to a different building and tried catching up to her before feeling something hard pressed against my back before being hurled across the pavement and through several walls of the building.

"Konella," Haji rushed to my aid, seeing if I was alright. For better or worse I was still living. Hearing another scream I waved a hand to Haji to get going and he did just that.

"Dammit…" my back throbbing from the impact and several ribs popping back into place, and several other joints doing the same, I bit my lip in frustration and got back up. "This is going to take some time to heal…" popping my neck back into place as well and following the trail of blood, I managed to catch up to the beast and took out another dagger before it noticed me. "You're going to pay for hurting me," it heard me speak and turned to roar at my presence. I spun the dagger effortlessly in hand and charged. Sinking the blade into its chest cavity to penetrate its heart, it managed to move enough to miss its vital spot and grab my leg and throw me. I crashed through a window to a classroom and found Haji with Saya. I wasn't expecting to find a kissing scene during this time and found myself in awe of his audacity!

_**Haji, are you serious right now?**_ Telepathically scolding him, my answer became clear the moment I saw blood trickle out from the corner of her mouth, then I grasped the situation. _**Does this mean she'll wake?**_ Asking telepathically, he was about to respond before the chiropteran walked into the room and began breathing hard to the smell of blood. Its eyes changed from the luminescent yellow to the color of crimson. A beast seeking prey.

"Sword," Saya's voice was low and stern. Eye's aglow the color of crimson blood. She was different to the small girl I saw running away. Haji handed her the katana and she drew it like it was always there for her. The chiropteran roared once more and began taking its stance to charge. I was ready to stand before a light fell across my face and a boy no older than Saya stood at the door with his mouth agape to the creature standing in the room.

"What the hell is that?!" He shook, nearly dropping down to the floor before I grabbed hold of him and got him to the hallway out of harm's way. "Let go of me lady! What the hell is that thing!?"

"You'd do well to shut up," I glared at him for his stupidity. He was babbling when I watched Saya slay the creature with utter ease.  
Haji spoke to me of her special blood that can kill these things. How easily she did so when it takes Haji and I some time to even put one down.

"Saya," the boy spoke up and looked at her with confusion and shock. Saya looked back to him with blood on her face and her glowing red eyes that startled even me. She seemed unmoved by the boy calling out to her until he got up and took two steps forward and spoke again. "Saya…?" She looked at a cabinet where her reflection showed on the glass and started screaming? Her eyes stopped glowing and she immediately passed out and began to fall. Haji was quick to catch her and looked a little confused to the action, but before we could speak there were lights shining through the window and men in uniform coming into the school over the commotion that took place here.

"We need to get away from this place before they see us." Haji picked Saya up into his arms and walked out while I took hold of the resilient boy and followed suit.

"Put me down!"

"Again, you'd do well to shut up." Scolding a child and able to grasp the boy enough to keep him steady, we left the school without leaving traces of us being there and managed to get away from the police.

The scenery of the school being surrounded by law enforcers and what seemed like military troops was a close call on our part. Over the years of not getting caught by the people calling themselves the Red Shield, it's come to my understanding that the military is much more involved than it ever was before. The boy wriggled out of my grasp and threw in an elbow that got me in the ribcage. The force wasn't much, but with my ribs still mending it was enough to make me cough and feel a slight puncture in the lung.

"Get away from Saya!" The boy raged towards Haji as he set Saya down and moved away from him. The boy glared at Haji as he cradled Saya. The relationship between the two was unknown, but hearing Saya whisper the boy's name—being Kai—the look Haji gave was one filled with hurt and confusion.

"Haji—" the coughing coming quick and filling my hands with fresh blood from the lung that got punctured, he quickly came to my aide and looked me over with worry. "Not healing…fast enough…is all…" the coughing making it worse, he lifted me up and said nothing to the boy or gave another glance over to Saya. I'm certain he wanted to remove Saya from that place himself rather than me, but with how things turned out I couldn't really blame him for having to choose. Come morning I knew that things were going to change, and that change might be something even more difficult than being half chevalier.


	3. Morning Confessions

**Morning Confessions**

How calming the sea is early in the morning. The waves crashing at my feet and lapping the sand back to its wake was simply beautiful. Hearing Haji play the cello was a subtle thing I have gotten used to over the years. And once I closed my eyes I could almost imagine myself somewhere else for a short while. Drifting aimlessly in thought while listening to the cello and the ocean waves, I found this feeling to be quite familiar somehow…just couldn't place when I felt this way before. The feeling of running on the sand barefooted; laughing and smiling without care; someone reaching out for me and taking hold of my hand tightly and kissing me with a passion so fierce that I felt weak in the knees. The more I listened to the melody and felt the waves crash against my feet the more I lost myself in the fantasy of my mind.

"Konella," brought back from my stupor and looking to Haji, he was looking at me with a sad expression and I walked to him with a small limp in my gait. "Are your wounds healing?"

"For the most part," tapping my leg and also my torso, I reassured him with a small smile. "Had no idea I injured myself so badly during the fight, but everything seems to be mending at a steady pace."

"I worry of the recovering pace. Have you eaten enough?" He spoke endearingly like normal, but I knew his mind was focused about Saya and what transpired last night.

"Everything is fine with me Haji. I'm wondering when we could meet with Saya on less terrifying terms."  
He seemed to be in deep thought about that before his brows knitted together and thinking carefully of what happened that night.

"I'm a little concerned of what transpired with Saya after drinking my blood. She should have awoken and recalled everything…yet she returned to what she is now and remembers nothing."

"Saya seemed to have come back the moment she took hold of that katana. From what you told me of her that's what she looked like to me. But after hearing that boy and seeing herself in that reflection everything reverted. Does her waking up earlier have anything to do with it?"

"It could be that. Her mental state has been calm and unaware for a year without my blood. This could prove difficult."  
I sat quietly watching the waves while he mulled everything over and listened to him pick up the cello and begin playing another song. Shutting my eyes to recollect the memories of the encounter last night, I was doubtful of finding the girl to be Saya. Haji once told me I would know it was her the moment I see her and feel an attachment—but no such feeling occurred, and I don't know how to tell him that. The theory he made years ago was immediately tossed aside in a matter of seconds. Having drunk Haji's blood once before should lead a connection to Saya—that's what he theorized. Yet nothing, not even a little stir of emotion happened to me. Meeting that small girl I felt no desire to protect her and place my life on the line.

Walking a small distance away and returning to the water, a small wind picked up and gently caressed me. It was nice, but the feeling blurred as I thought someone touched my shoulder and I spun around to find no one was even near me. Shivering, I closed my eyes and tried not thinking about it and felt the same sensation come back. Instead of turning around and losing the feeling, I focused on it and tried to place the feeling to something I should remember. It was difficult to imagine anything before meeting Haji. Memories blurred and lost in the dreams, the feeling of this hand so alien to me was bringing me to the brink of tears?  
_**Konella…**_  
Inhaling too sharp and having chills run up and down my arm, just who did I hear whisper my name? Even my heart was thumping loudly in my breast and filling me with excitement I've never felt before. Breath shortened and almost on the verge of crying, I shook my head and heard the music stop playing and saw Saya approaching Haji from the roadside with much anguish in her expression searching for answers. I shook off the feeling I just had and gathered my nerve to walk over there myself to give myself another chance to feel a connection with Saya, or at least be with Haji to get through it.

She looked at Haji, biting her lower lip and balling her fist for a few seconds before speaking. "Do you know who I am? What I am?! Please…please I need to know the truth." Hugging her arms, and more than likely confused about the incident from last night, she was losing her composure. I approached calmly while placing a hand on her shoulder and feeling her go rigid beneath my palm. Taking back my gesture and stepping back a bit, I tried easing her worries.

"We are here for you Saya," I spoke softly, "there is nothing to worry about when we are near you." Haji nodded and took his cello and placed it back inside the case while popping open the hidden compartment to get Saya's katana. He held the blade aloft in his hand before looking back up and facing Saya with determined eyes.

"If you want to know everything, I will tell you, but then there is no turning back." Holding out the sword and wanting her to accept it without the fear she was showing, we were rudely interrupted by the boy that I had saved that night—Kai, if I remembered correctly.

"SAYA," he called out and took one look at us and got into a fist fight with Haji immediately. Haji easily dodged his punches by stepping down the stairs one at a time, but when he came close towards me I took him by the arm and flipped him over the shoulder. A small twinge from my wounds, but somewhat worthwhile seeing as this boy is causing Haji pain he need not have.

"GAH," he coughed as he landed on the sand and Saya ran to his aid.

"Don't hurt Kai," she scolded. I wanted to say something, but Haji stopped me when Saya gave him the same look.

"…Haji," I looked at the two and I figured this was going to take some time before she agreed to become the warrior she once was. I calmed my mind and spoke to Haji through our telepathic wave of my plans. _**I'll head back to the warehouse. You figure something out with Saya and get her to come with us.**_

_**Why are you leaving**_, he questioned.  
It was a rather good question. I felt like I should leave the two alone and go elsewhere. Patting his hand and giving him a soft eluding smile of my leave, it was rather difficult to walk without the gait and hold my side to the wound that ripped back open without notice. Needing food and sleep to recover was my resolve, but yet it was harder to say that and giving him a lie.  
**I'm leaving Saya to you and warming her up to us. I think it best having only one of us at her side for the time being rather than two would be less intimidating.**  
A sensible lie to him, he seemed to take it in stride and allowed the intent to happen. Taking leave while staying by the shoreline, my destination to a dock where warehouses were mainly left alone was the best option for me to rest and regain my strength. But firstly I needed food, and so I headed back to town first.  
Having wondered around town aimlessly finding a decent place to eat, I ran into a pub called Omoro. A small bar it seemed like and out of the way of public view. Smelling food and hearing my stomach growl for it, I decided to go in and have my fill. A quick way to recovery is to fill my stomach.

"Hello, welcome to Omoro, how may I help you?" A little boy greeted. Sitting down at the bar and watching the little one come up to take my order, a rather blurry image came up and startled me. The boy before me flashed to another child I did not recognize and made my head throb for a second. "Everything alright ma'am?"

"Yes…sorry, may I have a menu?" The boy went and grabbed a small menu and I scanned the items to what looked good. Hunger deciding it for me, I placed the menu down and smiled to the boy. "I'll take one of each."

"What?!" The boy gasped and looked me over. He seemed astonished someone would order so much food, so all I could do was keep a smile on my face. "A-are you expecting company?"

"No, just me. You can serve me one or two at a time in dishes. I have plenty of time and enough money to pay." The boy looked over the counter to an older gentleman and gave the order to him. The man looked surprised but laughed.

"And here I thought only Saya ate this much!"  
Hearing Saya's name made me stop and stare. Did she come here often? Would she come here to eat? So many scenario's ran through my head that it took a moment for me to realize my first plate of food was in front of me. My stomach growled hungrily looking at the burger and I dug in with gusto. After the burger came a steak, after that a club sandwich, then a philly and several fry foods. Everything was absolutely delicious, and I felt fuller than I ever have been.  
"That's quite a stomach you got there. I'm curious how you fit it all, but then again my daughter can stuff the same amount and not gain an inch!" Laughing, I caught how he spoke of Saya as his daughter and couldn't comprehend how that would be possible. Adoption maybe? But surely he would know of her and how she wouldn't age. Something seems rather off about this man and his fondness towards her.

"I do quite an extensive work out on a daily basis. I forgot to eat since yesterday." He laughed a little more and offered me a drink when I could hear something unusual at the door and spun around. He smelled off to me and I could feel the hair raising off my arm. I didn't have any daggers on me, so if this guy is what I think he is we could be in trouble.

"Hello, can I help you?" The man greeted cautiously. The cloaked figure stumbled through the door and gurgled out a name. The man serving me leaned forward on the counter before realizing something. "Forrest?"

"George…" George rushed over and aided the man onto a stool and I slowly got off my seat and put myself between the figure and the boy behind me. Wary that the creature was half between his transformation, he could change at any moment. Not raising alarm to the boy or the other customers here, the act of keeping the boy busy with me was all I could do.

"Forrest talk to me, what happened to you?" Trying to speak with it, I stopped the young boy going closer and forced him to stay behind me.

"Ma'am," he looked at me to why I was doing such a thing and before I knew what to do next the door swung open again and a blonde man wearing a suit took aim and began shooting. I covered the boy's head and held him close. The feeling surging through me of a protective mother, I ran to the opposite end of the bar and placed the boy by some stairs.

"You run and hide," the boy was good at listening and did as he was told. I turned back around to the scene to find the blonde man looming over the man he shot.

"Why'd you shoot him?!" George yelled.

"Chiropteran," was his only response as I looked beyond the door frame and saw Saya as well as Haji. In the short time I've been gone many things must have happened.  
The chiropteran headed outside and ran into Saya. I could feel the danger as the beast had come over him and took control and tried attacking. The blonde man shot at him but the skin from a chiropteran was thick and merely scratched it. By the counter I picked up a knife and headed out while ignoring everyone that was around.

"Haji," taking ground by his side as he stood with Saya, he handed me my faithful daggers and held the katana out for Saya to take. She hesitated and refused to take the blade.

"Saya you must fight," he encouraged. She hesitated taking hold of the blade and it was George who took it instead and stated that it was his job to protect his family. He tried attacking the chiropteran, but the blade never went through and the beast countered and sliced open his stomach. A near fatal wound if not treated immediately. Or perhaps already it was too late.

"DAD!"  
It happened quickly, but the beast seemed to recover itself and flee the scene wailing over what it's done. I looked to Haji for instruction when he shook his head and had me stay. I watched in silence to everyone getting George to the hospital and running around that it was merely 30 minutes before we were at the clinic and the blonde man with another larger partner began investigating us.

"I know of Saya's servant named Haji, but I have no records of who you are." His glare cold and metallic, I looked to Haji for some advice when he had none to give. "State your name and what you are doing here."  
Dissecting the situation quickly and knowing that these two men are affiliated with the red shield, it was a bother to reveal everything. The man did not have patience with how silent I've been and brushed his gun on his hip for me to speak quickly.

"I am Konella, chevalier. I have been traveling alongside Haji for the last 28 years."

"Only 28 years? How odd," he scrutinized me. Letting slip the timeline of my travels, they became highly more suspicious of me.

"…I've been on my own for quite sometime during Saya's sleep cycles and Haji's travels. I have been in the shadows and not mentioned in Joel's diary." Using the information Haji had given to me over the years to make myself passable to the red shield if ever coming across them, the hope that this lie worked made the situation far more tense than needed. "I am a chevalier just like Haji."

"Can you prove that?" He challenged me on the spot and I quickly glanced to Haji for some form of help when he narrowed his eyes to what he could say or do at this point. I followed him out to a clearing and he pulled out his gun and fired!  
Quickly dodging the bullet and using my speed to get close to him, I took his gun out of his hand and held the dagger to his throat and made him submit defeat.  
"You're as quick as Haji…" he growled his discomfort and I released him to have him face me again. But he continued no further and went back inside.

**That was far too close for comfort…**

**He is a man of the red shield. They trust nothing not mentioned in Joel's diary. Be on your guard with them.** His reply curt, but understandably so, we followed the men to a nearby hotel by the hospital to await further instructions.


	4. Morning Confessions pt2

**Haji**

The red shield are not easy to understand, or manipulate, by any means. Having cornered Konella to reveal who she was, why she knew of Saya and I, she handled herself well by giving them information only I would know of. Joel's diary. Placing her guard up and knowing she stands on thin ice with them, the pull I felt towards Saya was strong. Her awakening still baffling to understand, the desire to stand by her side remained stronger than before.  
The man named David stopped, shifting to the side and abruptly stopped me to interrogate.

"Are you hiding something from us, Haji?" David spoke darkly, putting his hand on his gun and watching the others continue to walk by, he was not so easily convinced of Konella being who she claims.

"She was kept secret. When I found her during my travels she was in a state of hibernation. She awoke in reaction to my connection with Saya." He scrutinized my claim. Unknown if this would suffice as a cover for her, he seemed at a loss to do anything until further analysis.

"That better be true," fixating his suit to hide his gun and walking away to speak with his partner, I glanced towards Konella and Saya side by side and found Saya nervous around her. She didn't show great discomfort, but she was unsure of everything that was happening around her and remained silent.

We returned to the hospital where Saya's 'father' was being kept for operation when I noticed Konella falling a step behind. Doing the same without notice to speak with her, she seemed to be in deep thought over something I couldn't imagine.

"Does something trouble you?"

"…Saya's keeping her distance from me. She will make those men more wary of me if she keeps distancing away from me each time I stand near."

"I see." She noticed the same thing as he. "I will comfort Saya and have her be more at ease around you."

"Don't force her…but this will be hard to convince those two who are keeping a careful watch of my every move."  
Her judgement not wrong as David turned back to see us speaking. Saya was already inside the hospital waiting room to see if George would pull through with the surgery.  
"I thought this would be a much smoother meeting." Her humor dry, her shoulders tense with worry, my hand was reaching for her before hearing Saya call out for me. The desire to answer her call taking away the notion to comfort Konella placed her in a spot of confusion. Though I had wished to explain to her the connection between chevalier and master, I had already begun heading to Saya's side.

"Haji, I wonder if dad is going to be alright." Confining in me and taking hold of my sleeve, it was unbearable to watch Saya be this way. After waiting 30 years for her to wake up after the war in Vietnam I have been wondering how she would react. Seeing her become like this…like a child reverting to their old ways before becoming what they need to be made my heart ache from the promise we made that fateful day in Russia. I long for Saya…even before she changed me, I held feelings for her. To see her not even recognize me makes this meeting near unbearable.

"Everything will be alright, Saya." Calming her, I felt Konella try and speak to me through our telepathic network, but I blocked her out as not to get emotional and could feel her walk away with mixed emotions.  
At the end of the day with George being in the hospital and hearing of Saya's brother Kai taking actions of his own, I lost sight of Konella and couldn't reach her to speak with her when I was alone. The pang in my chest without her presence was rather unsettling, but I also knew better than to try and lie to her. My duty is with Saya till the end, and my mission with her is my utmost importance. But I want to prove not only to myself of what Konella may be, but to see if my hunch might be correct when I first found her that day. Is she a chiropteran failed experiment, a chevalier to Diva, or perhaps maybe a queen like Saya and Diva? Her desire to eat and sleep are that of what Saya does, it made me keep these thoughts in the back of my mind, but there is no evidence proving she could have been without her own chevalier to look after her. These questions remained unanswered, but it changes nothing to having her by my side and protecting Saya at all costs.


	5. The Road We Must Take

**The Road We Must Take**

The news of George being taken to a place called The Animal Wildlife Museum was a little unexpected. The intel that David received about the place was that there was an underground facility where they most likely hold experiments of chiropteran with Delta-67 blood.

After disappearing for the night to cool my head by the sea, away from everyone, it was incredibly awkward the entire day of having David interrogate me and babysitting Saya's brothers from getting into more trouble. Of course, we found the guy named Forrest, and had Saya deal with the chiropteran after finding Kai in a warehouse nearly getting himself killed. The entire time that was happening while Saya was trying to make herself remember her purpose I kept getting the evil eye. No matter what I was doing I was being watched like a criminal. If I had known it was going to be this way I would never have signed up for this and kept myself out of it. But dammit all if not for Haji for saving me and taking care of me all these years there's no way I would ever turn my back to him after all he's done.

After the day was nearly done and getting ready for the mission at hand of rescuing George from the facility, the entire premises was cleaned out and not a single sign as to why that was the case. David, Saya, Haji and I went inside and took a look around with every bit of caution. It was eerie inside the place for sure. Many exotic looking animals were displayed with podiums and boards holding their description. Saya happened to brush up against a podium that spoke, I quickly broke the damn thing before something jumped us. They looked at me like I did wrong but continued their search.  
Walking quietly alongside Haji and Saya, something bothered me from behind. I keep looking back and finding nothing there, but the feeling I had was unmistakable as I felt threatened by something.

"Konella," Haji whispered to me to look forward, but I continued to look back and I saw something drip from the ventilation shaft and knew exactly what it was that bothered me.

"MOVE," I shouted. The grate popped off and landed on the floor to have a chiropteran descend from the ventilation. "I got this, just keep moving forward and find George!" Looking back to David to get out of here, Haji wanted to assist me in the fight, but he had to stay beside Saya. "I'll be fine, just go!" my hand outstretched, I held the dagger firmly in my other hand and took my stance.

"Quickly then," David ordered.  
I took my dagger and attacked the monster without restraint and heard the creature wail in pain as I gouged it's eye out. Kicking off from it and going at its stomach to make it fall, it was quick to try and ram its arm at me but swiftly managing to dodge the impact and cut off its arm.  
"Have to buy them time…can't let it through." Wiping the blood splatter off my face and getting ready to attack again, a clash from behind and heavy breathing followed by stomping told me this guy had company. "Perhaps I spoke a little too soon. Taking on three of you might prove to be difficult for me." Raising my dagger in defense and pulling out another one, I examined what I could use and found little to nothing that would be enough to kill them.

Evading their claws and moving around the room while activating the podiums, the noise that the monitors made did little to distract them and I felt aggravated that I was incapable of killing them off as quickly as Haji does. One caught my leg and swung me across the room and nailing into a glass sphere—shattering upon impact and receiving lacerations all across my arm. "Ok then," getting up and throwing the shards at their face and lodging one in the throat, the other two charged and nearly got me again. "How do I get a good clean shot to kill you guys?" Jumping back and bracing against the wall and taking the chance to slice one of the beasts' head off, I missed and only managed to cut a shoulder. "This is taking too long!"  
Landing on one of the display cases and eyeing the chiropterans surrounding me, there was a trick up my sleeve that could take care of them all, but for a price. Not thinking of the consequences and letting my body dwell with power, I could feel my skin crawling with displeasure as this strange power took hold and burned my skin as if setting myself on fire. The reflection off of glass cases showing my eyes turning emerald green always made me shiver in fear as I faced the beasts' and froze them in place.  
"Now then…how about you just dying for me and making my job a little easier." Raising my hand with palm outstretched, each gripped their throats and started roaring in pain. The smell of burning flesh coming off of them made me nearly smile as they burst into flame and died on the spot. "Better reach the others if there's more of them." Seeing the elevator not returned and not having a way to get to them that way, I looked up to the air duct and figured it was my best shot and jumped through and began my search.

* * *

**Haji**

Konella should be able to handle herself if it's just the one, maybe two at best. If she feels cornered she could risk her life and hurt herself to try and buy us time. After watching the door shut behind me and seeing her fighting the chiropteran off herself, she seemed determined to prove to David that she was no threat and was only here to protect and serve Saya. Hopefully the stunt pays off and Konella does not take too much damage.

"Haji," Saya called my name with a fearful tone and I looked to see three chiropterans in the room ahead. With David collecting the information he needed from this place it was left to me and Saya to cover him.

"Saya, fight!" Handing her the sword she shook from touching it and could not bring herself to use it. Not wanting her resolve to simmer like this, I used my case and took on the beasts' head on. As frustrated as I am with Saya not awakening to her calling, I cannot abandon her either.

"I got it," David shouted and began shooting the creatures. Not effective to say the least, he took Saya and started heading to another room to barricade the doors. I heard Saya scream to being attacked and for a brief moment I saw something run past me and ram the creature away from her.

"Dad!" She called out.  
Knowing it was George and leaving it up to them to get Saya away, I kicked the creatures into one another and got to them in time when the doors shut and locked. And more of them are scrambling into the room without knowing where they were coming from.

"George…"  
The way he spoke his name was concerning until I looked at the man myself. His arm was already in the process of changing. They had got to him with the delta-67 blood. A moment of silence passed to finding him this way and being too late to save him. The blood was changing him, and the wound he suffered from was drastically healing. Taking Saya's hand and giving her words of encouragement, a small amount of her blood trickled down his arm and entered his bloodstream. Words exchanged between them as father and daughter and was giving Saya the words she needed to fight and accept her past no matter what it was. Moments passed and George crystallized as a father rather than a monster. Saya's anguished cry was deafening to me and nearly tore me apart.

I heard the doors being crashed into and several indentations started to form when I realized the place here was infested with chiropterans than just the few I had thought there was. Getting ready to fight and protecting Saya at all cost, I heard Konella's voice from the other side of the barricade!

"Isn't that Konella," Saya looked hopeful it was her, but all I could feel was fear. There were at least ten, maybe fifteen at most out there! With her only being half, she can't heal as fast as I can. Gritting my teeth and bearing with the thought of her nearly being killed out there beyond the door, it was Konella's voice through our connection that eased me.  
_**Haji can you hear me?  
Are you hurt? We have accompl—  
There's no time for that damn mission of theirs we need to get out of this building asap!**_


	6. The Road We Must Take pt2

**Konella**

I yelled at Haji through our communication and fought off the angry hoard of chiropterans best I could while keeping contact. Haji tried getting more information, but I couldn't even concentrate any further without saving my own hide.  
"Get out of my way," I slashed through another chiropteran and tried making my way through when even more started showing up. Getting desperate and knowing this will hurt me later I shut my eyes and felt my body heating up to using my gift. I looked at the group of deformed beasts' before me and watched as they each ignited in a burst of flames. My hand hurt at first with the mark and then it gradually crept up my arm to my neck and began to shorten my breathing. Not stopping until I had a clear path to the door, it was slowly starting to open and I quickly closed my eyes and tried to stop my power from continuing. I could only hear David shouting beyond the door as I heard the damn thing open and Saya charging out with sword in hand and killing the remaining beasts. She was grieving. I looked beyond her to see the crystallized man as her father and felt sympathy to the poor girl. But time was short as the news I heard over the radio in the control room I found of having a bomber plane coming this way to blow this place sky high.  
"Sorry Saya, don't hate me for this." Punching her in the stomach hard enough to knock her out, I took hold of her and handed her to Haji without giving him a chance to speak, "A bomb is on the way here and we need to get the hell out! Let's move!" David took lead and ran through the horde while I covered for him and Haji until we reached the elevator. Getting inside and heading back to the first floor I was starting to feel the burn creeping up my arm and neck and maybe around my torso. I held my breath most of the time to keep my mind off the pain while we ran out of the building as fast we could and saw Luis with the car waving us down.  
"We gotta get goin David. There's a bomber plane headin this way!" David nodded grimly and got in the car with Haji and Saya while I staggered behind to catch my breath. It was unexpected to see Kai here of all places, but it seemed he knew of the bomb coming and was coming to warn us.

"Konella," Kai ran over to me and helped me onto his bike and placed his helmet on my head. He didn't seem to care at all that I was some stranger to him, that I'm not even human, but he saddled behind me and made sure I was secured. "I got you," he told me. Kicking his stand and pulling on the throttle, we zoomed out of the place at high speed with the car behind us and heard the bomber overhead. Having it being that close and listening to the whistling of the bomb falling, it landed on the museum and a mushroom cloud overtook the scenery and lit up the night sky.

I was lucky to not have passed out from the pain, but not so lucky to have Kai see me the way I was with the scorch marks across my skin. He didn't hear me out about going to the hospital and just took me straight to one and losing David and the others. A woman named Julia came out to meet with us as Kai picked me up and carried me over to have her look at me. She didn't care what I had to say either and escorted Kai to the nearest room and had me placed on the bed and started ripping my shirt off.  
"I'm going to need some anesthetic and start treating the wounds now."

"I don't need anything," I spoke with as much coldness as not to give away the pain I was really in.

"Nonsense," she scolded. "Those burns need antiseptic and bandaged right away. There's no time to lose here," tapping on a needle and ready for injection, I sighed and spoke up.

"A chevalier doesn't require any tending to. You work under the red shield, so you know of our healing capabilities." I mentioned. She stopped and looked at me strangely with one eyebrow raised and a questionable look.

"You can't be," she said. I wondered why she said that and looked at her with questions of my own. "Only a male can be a chevalier. No records say a woman can turn into one by the queen."

"Queen," I repeated the word and it felt wrong to me somehow. I looked at this woman and somehow knew she would be alright telling my secret to and wanted some clear answers. "What do you mean by that," I asked her. She looked at me for a moment before sighing and pushing the rim of her glasses up. "Please…I- I'm not sure of myself being the way I am. Haji had found me years ago sleeping in the snow. Memories of my past are but a haze…fever dreams…if you have answers, I want to hear them." I pleaded with her, and her reaction bewildered to my plea. Calming down and having Kai come into the room after some time had passed, it was going to be a long and agonizing discussion.

"I will answer all I can with what I know, but in return I would like some data and questions answered." She made a bargain I could hardly refuse and I shook on the deal. "Kai," she turned to him and looked serious. "From this point onward I cannot have you hear this. It contains confidential inquiries that concern Saya. You are not part of red shield and not ready to take on such a responsibility."

"But—" she stopped him there and shook her head.

"Understand that I am only doing this because everything that's happened to you and Riku has been abrupt. Until you are ready to shoulder the burden I cannot say anything in front of you."  
He wanted to argue, but it seems he understood well enough and left the room. With my ability to hear better than humans I was sure he was long gone from the room and waiting in the seating area.

"What would you like to know first," I asked.  
She leaned back in her chair and gave some thought to her first question. Taking some paper and a clip board, she asked away.

"Do you register pain when impaled? For example," she demonstrated using her pen and making it pass through her arm in figuration. "Does the body register the pain excessively or do you only feel it for a moment before your healing capability kicks in?"

"…." I understood the question, but it was only fair to tell her my truth. "In truth Julia, that's a question for Haji. You see…I'm merely half a chevalier…in theory."  
She dropped her pen.  
"Haji had involuntarily shared his blood when he found me. I'm able to heal my wounds like him, but at a slower rate. I require sleep when he doesn't; eating is also a factor I've noticed over the years that Haji doesn't need, but I do." She was quiet about this. Who can blame her really? "I have fragmented memories of my past…just recently more of them have surfaced since meeting with Saya." She came closer and examined me.

"How fascinating," she jotted down everything I was saying quickly with a spare pen she had and turned to her computer. "Since meeting with Saya you've experienced hidden memories coming to light?" I nodded and watched her type things in. "Hypnotism is a way of finding out more about yourself if you're willing. If you are finding things out naturally like this with encounters then I think this is a good way of finding out who you were in the past. Can you tell me what you do remember?"

"…." I closed my eyes and could see the vague scene play out in fragments. "Snow…everything is covered in a white blanket of snow. Someone is singing in the background, but I can't tell what the song is. There are shadows standing around me, holding up what seems like glasses to celebrate something special." I paused and told her more of what I've experienced as of late. "Someone keeps whispering my name gently into my ear. My heart pounds each time I hear it." I opened my eyes and saw her face. "Haji found me in a wedding gown…I may have been getting married to someone, but I know nothing of what happened to me. And there's also a boy—around Riku's age maybe—running around and smiling towards me. It hurts seeing it. Much more than being impaled by objects."

"…this is really deep," she tapped the pen on her desk and gave it some thought. "How long have you and Haji been traveling together?"

"About 28 years." thinking how long it's been and what I've been through together with that man, it amazed me. "Haji told me of Saya many times during our travels. He told me I was a chevalier, even if only half, and that I would want to be beside Saya. Meeting with her and having all that's happened in this short time," I stopped and gave thought to what I was going to say. I looked to Julia with honest eyes and spoke my mind clearly. "I have no feeling of attachment to Saya. This bond that he spoke of, about having to be beside her at all times, and protecting her desperately, doesn't even graze a thought in me. Perhaps because I am merely half a chevalier…but even so I feel more distant from her in all honesty."

"Perhaps I should show you something," she wheeled around to a filing cabinet and rummaged through some yellow folders before pulling one out. Handing it to me, she wheeled back to her desk and waited for me to open the folder.

"What's in it," I asked.

"You say you feel no attachment to Saya…perhaps there is another you would feel that to."  
I opened the folder slowly to find one name on the front of the paper: DIVA.

"What is this," my heart was pounding in my chest that my fingers were trembling to turn the page. Taking the corner and flipping it over I could see a picture of Diva in it. Short of breath and catching myself, I touched the picture gently and felt warm seeing it. "I've never met her, yet, her name is familiar to me, not just from hearing it from Haji. She looks so much like Saya. I've heard of Diva from Haji many times…I know she's Saya's little sister…but why," my eyes filled with tears and I held my arms tightly while looking down at the picture. "Why do I feel so alone looking at this picture? I don't find any comfort seeing this…I just feel lonely."  
Julia grabbed the folder and tossed it aside and brought me into a hug. I was so confused to what I was feeling that I accepted this brief kindness and held onto her.

"You may not have memories of it…but your feelings towards your Queen speak true." She said this and had me look at her in the eyes. "To us, Diva is the enemy to the red shield and everyone on this planet. Having you affiliated with her may cause some issues."

"I don't know what to do about it," I answered. "Sure, I feel like I want to hold onto Diva and cradle her as my child, but there's something more to this that I don't get." I pushed her gently away and saw that my burns had cleared up. "The man who whispers my name each time I close my eyes is someone I find more important than any Queen. My heart beats harder for that unknown man I hear each time I sleep. Whether Diva is this Queen that I'm supposed to follow or not I don't know. I've been with Haji for years not knowing anything of a Queen and anything else related to servitude of one. When I see her I don't know what would happen," I felt myself getting worked up and calmed down again. "I only want to know of my past…to know of the man who wanted to marry me. I have questions myself that are left unanswered. This Diva everyone is after…" I looked at the photo again from the distance and felt that attachment again; "I don't know what relation we had…but I only want to know of what happened to me that left me dying in the snow."  
She nodded a few times and had one more question for me before I left. "Do you have weaknesses?"

"Heh," I let out a small laugh and thought of how ironic it was to have this weakness of mine. "Yeah," I saw my burns were completely gone now and I turned my back on her to the door and stopped there to answer. "I can't handle cold weather."


	7. Lycèe De Cinq Flèsches

**Lycèe De Cinq Flèsches**

After a week of leaving Okinawa and boarding a ship, the red shield had officially gotten Saya to join their cause after her father's untimely death. I've been beside her a little more to try and get used to her after meeting with the doctor named Julia. She's keeping a close eye on me, saying nothing to the other members of the red shield and only watching everything that I do. If I screw up and make her think I'm a threat then I will no longer be traveling with Haji. He's noticed nothing of my troubles since being back together with Saya though, so I don't think I have much to worry about. But on the other hand, it's come down to me playing a role of chevalier to Saya and no one else.

"Konella," hearing Haji and turning to face him, he was not with Saya for once on this trip. "David and the others have something to discuss with you."  
Feeling nervous being with David in a room, I nodded and started heading there when Haji stopped me.  
"Are you alright," he asked. His hand pressed lightly on my face, I was comforted knowing he still cared of me, but a chill nonetheless creeping in to the man I was going to be questioned by.

"Yes," answering quickly, he seemed to not believe me and went to speak more when I felt someone's eyes on me. "Looks like their waiting, I have to go."  
Feeling bad turning my back on him, I went to the room where they wanted me to meet and saw Saya here as well?

"Good of you to come," Lewis spoke up and pulled out a seat beside Saya. "We have a question for you Konella," he waited till I sat down before they handed me a file.

"Can you go with Saya to this school to find out some information for us?" David asked. A little thrown off to the task they asked of me, I looked at the file in hand and felt like I've been here before. Not exactly here, but something similar to it for some reason.

"What is it that you need," I asked them.  
Giving me the readout of the files they retrieved back at the museum, there were some filed on there that mentioned a certain brand of wine that was exported from the boarding school mentioned:  
"Chateau Duel." I spoke so easily without missing a beat to the name and felt my lips tingle a bit. "I'll see if I can access their computer. Maybe I can find out where the warehouse is and where they export the wine."

"That would be most helpful," David nodded and gave us both the registration form to enter the school. "This boarding school is for girls of prestige. We will manage the rest," giving us a uniform and telling us to pack, I looked to Saya and guessed on helping her pack some things to take since I don't have anything.

Saya took me to her room she was staying at and had a few things to say to me that was about the relationship of our past. I gave her something she would like to hear instead of the truth and went along with her until we arrived at our destination.

"Saya, until we get to our dorms I suggest we act as proper ladies." Whispering to her as the head mistress of this school would soon come and greet us, she nodded nervously and held her luggage close. "No worries Saya, I'm here for you."  
She gave a shy grin as the head mistress had come. Her straight posture gave me all I needed to know that she would not tolerate anything out of her rule book. She called for someone to carry our bags and began to guide us around the school. With each step I took I kept having this feeling like I've been here once before. The surrounding looked unfamiliar, yet the sensation I was feeling as I walked down these halls and hearing mumbling from the mistress passed me over.

"Did you hear me," the mistress repeated herself, supposedly, since I looked up and found her looking right at me. Saya seemed worried for a minute but I passed it off by giving the mistress a harmless smile and nodded.

"I heard you head mistress," speaking politely as possible, I bowed my head. "I was taking in the scenery of this garden you grow here in the courtyard. We are honored to come here to such a beautiful school." Flattery getting me somewhere with this cold woman, she opened her file and furrowed her brow.

"Hmm," raising an eyebrow and looking back to me, she cleared her throat. "Ms. Brooks, before seeing to you two I had come across an old file I wish to bring up." She handed the file to me. "In our record books it shows that you are registered here. Be that impossible, but this is what I found in our files." She laughed through her nose and pushed her glasses back up. "The picture there is unmistakable." She leered at me for answers, but the picture stunned me.  
It was me. Had to be. But the date this was done was far too long ago. The date being 1920; that was 54 years ago. And this school was founded in 1901, so the possibility of me being in this school at any time would be impossible since I've been traveling the world with Haji.  
"Konella," Saya looked at the file over my shoulder and gasped softly. "Is this you?" She whispered so the mistress didn't hear, but I knew that this was me, no question. Merely longer hair in the photo to my mid-length hair I have now.

"Ms. Lee this must be one of my relatives. I would be pretty old coming here and trying to enroll," handing it back to her, she seemed skeptical of the words I used, but she nodded to the possibility.

"I will show you both to your dorms. Follow me."

Being led to separate dorms and finding this situation unlikable, I browsed the room for a bit to find my roommate to be a wealthy girl. Rich finery in the closet and far too much make-up to bother with. I just happened to look at one of the perfume bottles though and an image flashed through my head so quick it made me dizzy.  
"Just what…" my words fading as I held my head, I leaned against the vanity and felt myself losing more of myself than ever before. "I need to clear my head," changing into my uniform for this school and stepping out, I wondered the halls and came across a church. An old church, but the feeling of ease quelled my inner turmoil and I slipped inside.  
Once inside and just sitting in the silence, the bell chimed loudly in the empty room and echoed. As calming to me as it was, class was starting, it would be bad if I missed out on my first day.

"Saya don't you know about the phantom?" The girls whispered to Saya with much gossip and giggle that I tuned in to the conversation from afar. "They say that the phantom picks the prettiest girl in the whole school by placing a single blue rose on the desk. It's super romantic." The girl spoke with such fantasy that it was hard to bear any more conversations from the group. But I did hear of a dance coming up after the field trip to the museum of Vietnam. Once the classes for the day was over with I decided to venture around the campus during lunch break and the time between classes till night fell. I wasn't sure where Saya was at, but I headed back to the church and decided to climb the tower.  
Seeing I wasn't the only one who thought to do the same, Saya was here holding a candle.

"Konella," she whispered so her voice wouldn't echo.

"Yeah," going to her and handing her one of my daggers, she took it and held it close. "I overheard about the phantom during class. Do you think it's real?"  
She gave it some thought before heading up the stairs. Her thoughts about the phantom led to being a chevalier. I agreed to the thought and figured she would come to that conclusion. After a while of climbing steps we finally made it to the top and took in the surroundings. My eyes caught something blue a little away from the school grounds. There was no way to get there other than carry Saya and jump across. But seeing those blue roses over there made me shiver—but not in a bad way.

"Konella," she touched my shoulder and had a concerned look on her face.

"Sorry Saya, I think I'll be calling Haji to take you over there and scope it out. Those blue roses…" I stopped there and clutched my robe over my heart and felt empty inside. "I'll get a hold of Haji," looking away and taking out my phone, I called David to send Haji over and explained to him what we found.


	8. Waltz Through Memory Lane

**Waltz through memory lane**

I stayed behind from the school trip to Vietnam and had Saya go with her classmates. My head had done nothing but spin and show me images of a past I can't recognize. The halls would be stone rather than wood of what it is now. The pillars would be wrapped with ivy rather than being blank and cracked with age. The garden never existed, but a large vineyard used to stretch across the valley and litter the field with grapes of all kinds. I couldn't understand why I was seeing such things even while awake, but it has taken a great toll on my current mission. Even the room I was placed in looked nothing as it should. Rather, it was an office of sorts littered with papers I couldn't recognize and a desk with blank pictures placed on top the desk.  
"Being in this school is driving me to madness."  
Staying hidden in the church tower, I scanned the area around and saw girls heading to class and the headmistress making her rounds. As I watched her come inside the church it was a short time later I saw her again come out from the other end where the garden of blue roses was at. Watching her closely now and seeing her just looking around, she fixated her clothing and came back.  
"Now why would you patrol over there," raising an eyebrow and waiting till the coast was entirely clear of her, I leaped down from the tower and jumped across to the garden and landed lightly. "What are you hiding here," looking around and seeing a gate leading down to something, I busted the lock and noticed the stairs leading down into a tunnel. "And where does this lead?" Taking another look around before jumping down into the depths, I landed steadily and touched the wall for balance.  
The smell was musty. Gas fumes also filled the air and a ruckus was heard down a little further in the tunnel. Sneaking around the corner and finding the tunnel leading to a warehouse, I ducked behind some barrels and peeked over to find men loading trucks, and also a rather large crate. Not certain what the crate could be holding, looking at it made my pulse race and my heart thump loudly in my chest. The feeling was shocking, but I had to dismiss why until I gathered some information. Catching the sole objective of the mission, I found crates of wine.  
"The wine…so they are distributing here." Seeing a rack full of bottles and managing to take one, I heard someone coming my way and jumped up to the rafters and hid myself till the workers passed. _**I hope this will be enough for David. I should probably get a better look at the crate and describe it to them as well.**_  
Leaning a bit further to get a look at the crate, I could tell it was specially built to hold something inside. A locking mechanism was on the door. Pretty high security? As I inched closer I heard something—more so in my head rather than out—and I froze.  
The sound reverberating through me made my balance falter. A crushing sense of guilt and pleasure filled my being before grasping the banister to regain balance. Short of breath, the feeling igniting something I've never felt before, my situation was dire here.  
"Have to…get away…" biting my lower lip and getting the hell out of this place, I held onto the wine and ran through the tunnel and scaled the ladder quickly. Returning to the tower of the church and gasping for air as though underwater this entire time, I felt my body weakened. "Dammit…" resting against the wood and taking a few deep breaths, I rummaged for the cell phone given to me and called David.

_**What did you find?**_ Immediately to the point, I told him of the wine, the warehouse and the crate being stored there. He asked for more details concerning the crate, so I gave him what I saw and he wanted to take action. Asking why the rush, he told me of Diva and what they knew and I sucked in a breath. I had found Diva. She was still sleeping inside her crate and I came across it. _**How long will Saya be gone for?**_

"Not much longer. The trip lasts for maybe half a day and then the ball begins tonight."

_**A ball?**_ He fell silent but seemed to have come up with a plan. _**We will meet with you and Saya at the ball to infiltrate the warehouse. Will you two be ready by then?**_

"Yes." He confirmed the mission and hung up. "…now then…" staring up at the clear sky and trying to grasp what I've found, my head felt so heavy that it was hard to make any clear decisions. "Can I withstand this mission much further?" Asking an absurd question, I held tight to the wine and decided to open it and drink. The sensation of the wine going down my throat was pleasing and calming the fire within me. Like a sedative to my rampant emotions as of late, the wine was excellent. Taste and year had been done to perfection. Licking my lips and drinking the bottle without care, this was the calmest I've felt since coming here thanks to the alcohol's effects. "Guess I'm ready for the ball now." Laughing through my nose and leaving the empty bottle here, heading back down to the room I stayed in felt like lead weights placed around my ankles. 

* * *

"Hey," my roommate, Elinor, dragged me out of bed forcefully. I had hoped to sleep soundly for a while before the ball and the mission that would take place, but apparently my roommate had other plans. "Tonight is the ball and I am not having you mope in this room any longer!" She dragged me over to her vanity and started washing my face. "Everyone has to attend, and I am not going to be responsible for not having you there." Fixing my hair up and doing whatever she wanted, I was fitted into one of her dresses that I found much too revealing for a young girl to even own. "Look," she spun me around and applied some foundation gently onto my face. "I don't know what's happening to you, I don't really want to know either, but the dance is special to everyone here. Saya received the blue rose from the phantom…the phantom could be at the dance and we are all looking forward to it."

"…why do you look forward to seeing the phantom when the girl he picks will never be seen again?" I asked her seriously.  
She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror and fixed a stray hair. "It's romantic…" her eyes fluttering to the idle thoughts in her head, it was not so surprising that I would think she's an idiot. After a few more things attached to my hair and face with a silk shawl over my shoulders, she led me out of the room and towards her group of friends and we headed to the ballroom.

I thought at first this might not be so bad while walking to the ball. The girls beside me were giggling and wondering what kind of men would be dancing with them. My heart did feel all fuzzy thinking about how I looked, but after seeing my reflection a few times in the glass windows I could honestly say that I was pretty. And perhaps the wine was still in effect and I felt less tense about the ball and the mission at hand.

"Konella," one of the girls brought my attention to the rose garden and plucked one out. "This will complete the look you have," putting the rose in my hair and making sure it stayed, they awed at the work and grinned ear to ear and began placing small bets on who would get asked to dance first. Not really interested in the dancing and needing to find Saya to see what the plan was, we approached the large doors and had them opened for us and I drew in a breath.

The lights were beautifully done in hanging drapes and subtle soft colors to accentuate the atmosphere. Taking small steps forward and eyeing the people inside, many I did not recognize, it was by chance that I found Saya with her group of new friends.  
"Sorry ladies, I will be leaving you all." They rebuked the idea of my leave, but none of them stopped me by force once I started walking towards Saya.  
"Saya," calling out to her and getting close to have a look at her dress, it was a simple gown that suited her perfectly. "You look wonderful tonight," I complimented. Her blushing cheeks speaking for themselves and trying to compliment back, the room started filling up with chatter as someone whispered the phantom was here. Saya and I both looked for who it was but did not find the Chairman—which Saya informed me early on after her trip—and we both shook our heads. "Not going to be easy finding him here…" crossing my arms and thinking about this, she seemed distracted? "Are you listening to me?"

"Um," she pointed to something behind me and I turned around to see a very handsome man coming towards us. His hair was a golden blonde; wearing a white suit to match his fair skin and his light green eyes presenting themselves as mysterious to her, he approached without stopping until facing her with a kind smile.

"…." Stunned and somehow unable to speak, the man held out his hand with a small bow for her to take hold and the atmosphere of the room was silent.

"May I have this dance," holding out his hand still and feeling a sense of self emanating from him, I took his hand in mine and he pulled me gently onto the dance floor. The music began as a waltz and I fell into his step smoothly as if I've done it once before a hundred times. "Thank you," he spoke kindly into my ear and gave a reassuring smile.

"What do you mean," asking in a hushed tone, he chuckled and spun me around once before back into his arms. Our steps in tune with the sound of the violins playing and the cacophony of the others around slowly dulling away, it felt like it was just the two of us on the dance floor.

"The girls around here have been eyeing me like hounds. You were the only one I saw with no interest," looking at me without missing a beat to the song, I found myself wrapped in his charm and smiled. This idle chatter between us uplifting and somehow familiar.

"Be it a mishap, but if I did see you like they did I probably would have been staring just as hard as them." Finding it unlike me to say such things, it was just so easy to do so with him. His hand in mine and us dancing like this without care who was around felt so familiar to me. After another spin and twirling back into his arms, my vision flashed to a different scene around us and brought on a migraine so fierce I took in a sharp breath.

"Are you alright," he whispered into my ear and it felt like daggers stabbing through my brain. Biting down on my lip so I wouldn't let out a sound, he touched my chin and softly chided me. "You've always done this…if it hurts then say so." Brushing his cheek against mine to hide my face from everyone, my heart was beating rapidly to his touch and I could barely manage to breathe after what he said.

"I…do I...know you?" Whispering into his ear with a million questions going through me, his eyes on my own told me that it was more than just knowing me.  
Skillfully leading me off the dance floor out to the garden, he plucked the red rose from my hair and undid the work Elinor put into my look and held my hair with his fingertips. We stood silently for a long while as he stroked my hair and gently smiled. I couldn't help my heart beating so fast to the point of hearing it outside my breast.

"Do I know you…?" Asking quietly once more, hoping for an answer, he brought his hand to my cheek once more and leaned close.

"It's like a dream seeing you again, Konella" he spoke my name with a rich voice that my heart thrummed to it. "Red is ravishing on you," he plucked the blue rose off his chest and placed it behind my ear and caressed my cheek. "But blue has always been my favorite color on you."

I couldn't explain the tears falling down my cheeks. As if I turned on some leaky faucet unable to turn off I tried to wipe the tears away without looking like a disaster of makeup all over my face. His hand stopped me and his other held my face to look at him.  
"…I know you…?" My voice was so soft and filled with questions before he leaned towards me and gave a kiss to my forehead. The feeling erupting more images and forcing my eyes shut to keep the pain down. The scenery I've always dreamed of appeared briefly before his thumb pressed my lips and had me look back up to him.

"You and I have a remarkable past…" smiling as if he found someone lost to him, he kissed the back of my hand and knitted his brow to something not being there on my finger. "I will replace all that you have lost. Konella, _Mon Amour_, you've come back to me." My heart was thudding so fast now I could burst. Repeatedly I felt my head being tugged and squeezed by something and couldn't get out of it before my eyes started fading out and there was nothing for me to see or feel.


	9. Waltz Through Memory Lane pt2

Haji

Getting inside the school grounds unnoticed was simple, that and having the red shield bypass the guards up front, but I was getting concerned about Konella. Her last report was before Saya went to the museum and recovered part of her memories. From what Saya had spoken it would seem Konella is experiencing fragments of her own past and haunting her. With this case being close to an end and finding the chevalier to Diva, I hope to end this mission quickly and have Konella return.

"Haji," Julia spoke to me and was obscenely dressed to show off. "We're moving in now to meet up with Saya. Stay on guard out here until she calls for you."

"Of course," answering her regardless knowing what I must do, she went back to David and was escorted inside the ballroom.  
Hearing the students and males dancing in the room I could almost remember what it was like dancing with Saya back when I first met her. Such simplicity it was back then. If only I wasn't such a fool to have slipped and fallen to my death would this never happen.

"Mr. Goldsmith you must be joking," hearing a man speaking to another with anguish, I turned and saw them together in the garden.

"I'm not leaving this party until I take this woman with me." Holding a young woman in his arms that had fallen asleep, it was hard to tell what circumstance happened between the two. It was not of my concern, but they were oddly placed at this ball full of young women.

"This is absurd," the man with the French accent complained to the other and seemed to be taken lightly of.

"You may find it unlikely of me, but this is my wife." The man seemed shocked by the news and had to fixate his glasses. "See to it that Karl receives this message and we shall be moving the container immediately."

"Sir I—what do you mean this is your wife?! When was this?" Watching the man carry the woman, it struck me when the man turned enough at an angle to see the face.

"It was some time ago that we were married before getting separated. Now that she's back I will take her home." Smiling as if nothing happened, I grabbed my case and gripped the straps once I recognized that the woman he was carrying was Konella. "Now go and deliver the message." He ordered.

"Y-yes…" scurrying off and taking a few looks back, I threw the case towards the chevalier and found the spot he was at empty.

"…I see you haven't changed over the years, Haji." Atop the roof with Konella in arms, his smile unnerved me.

"Chevalier," I eyed him angrily as I watched his hands grip Konella. He seemed perplexed why I would be here until he heard the commotion coming from the courtyard and hearing Saya call for me. "…."

"Not good of you to ignore your queen," he chided.

"Release her," making my point on who he was holding, he simply chuckled and brought Konella closer to him.

"Now why would I release my own wife?"  
His words struck me. Was he speaking the truth about Konella? Is she affiliated to Diva like I feared? But why married to Diva's chevalier? Nothing was making any sense other than the fact he held Konella and Diva was here as David had suspected. Hearing Saya callfor me in the distance made my blood boil to go to her and answer her calling. But I had to rescue Konella!  
"Saya calls for you Haji…if you don't go now you will regret it." His voice darkening, I could hear Saya call for me with more desperation and clutched my case and reluctantly ran to her aid.

Getting to Saya in time to take her across the gorge, we arrived to the small desolated building filled with blue roses and went down the stairs to find a gate leading to a warehouse. David and Julia caught up to us through the church passage and we headed into the warehouse.

"The phantom is here," Saya looked around the corner and saw the crate holding Diva, along with the chairman. "Let's go."  
Wielding her sword and going after the chairman and chasing after her for cover, we fought the phantom relentlessly. During the fight he would narrate the battle he once had with her in the past when she had woken early from her slumber. This brought Saya back a few times, but her memories remained a blank state. It wasn't until the crate holding Diva started leaving that the chairman stopped the battle and realized Saya was not her old self. Wishing for the past Saya to do battle, he left Saya with a single blue rose to their parting and we had to leave these grounds and chase after the crate holding her sister.

"Where's Konella," Saya asked hurriedly while running out the door that I stopped and nearly forgot to go back. "Haji," she looked back to me and I just couldn't move. Turning around and hearing his words speaking to me, the man was on the roof and holding Konella still in his arms.

"_**You've lost Haji…I will be taking back what is rightfully mine**__._" Disappearing into the night with Konella, I felt a sense of loss inside me that hurt more than anything. Saya took me by the arm and tried asking me what had happened before I picked her up and took her to the vehicle to get away from this school.


	10. Waltz Through Memory Lane pt3

**_Hey everyone, sorry for such a long update but when I was reading what I had put up here I noticed I did the rough draft version compared to the one I was working on. My bad. So from this point there will be changes made from the original that was posted and the story will continue on with more fluidity._**

* * *

**54 Years ago**

_It was the summer of Konella's 19__th__ birthday after graduating university, receiving her honors certificate for business. She excelled in the field far beyond her age group and strived to be better than her peers. Less than a month of graduating she enrolled in a special union and was employed by Cinq Fleche Winery. A newly found business that had begun under the Goldsmith family. Enthralled with her new line of work and more enthused to begin, she set forth to France and began her life's journey._

The desk was filled with clutter, making it near impossible to find the papers needed to go out into the field. Frustrated with the uncleanliness of things here, it never stopped her from trying to better herself and show others here she was no mere child. Her age was a handicap in the department, no one here took her seriously. But she strived to show them all what she was capable of.  
"Where are those papers?" Frustrated, exhausted, she scanned the mess of the office given to her and started biting her lip.  
*Knocking*  
"Yes?" turning around and seeing a man, he was holding a file while staring at her with scrutiny. It was only her second day here and now a man shows himself with a sour look to seeing her. "May I help you?" Biting back the growl in her words, she placed her hands on her hips and stood tall.

"Is this what you are looking for, _petite souris_?" Holding the file with an amused expression, he seemed like the person who likes to tease. She knew better than to start any discord, so she held her head low and kept her sharp tongue in check. Though his comment of calling her little mouse was insulting enough to make her seethe.

"Yes, it is. And you are?" Being short with the man and accepting the file he held aloft, she eyed him carefully as not to give him any funny ideas to tease her before he hummed. "I asked you a question," temper getting the best of her, he leaned against the wall with interest and assessed her briefly.

"Solomon Goldsmith," He was her boss. The man who began this new enterprise was standing before her in her dirty office and she was embarrassed how rude she had been. Quickly finding words to make amends, she found none. "You are the new worker that transferred I presume." His eyes never wavered off from her as he spoke. She kept her head low and tried not making any more remarks that could discredit her being here. But he seemed aggravated, nonetheless.

"I am," opening the file and seeing all the papers she needed, she walked to the desk and took a seat. "This is going to be a difficult task for you, but I'm certain you can handle this, if not, you are more than welcome to take your leave." testing her willpower to be here, to be brought to a newfound enterprise of his, she prided herself in her work and wanted nothing more than to remain. Solomon walked over to the desk of hers and took a seat while folding his hands and crossing his leg over the other. He was testing her somehow, but only verbally. Unsure how to take on the challenge he brought upon her, she swallowed dryly before having the courage to speak up.  
"Are you capable of keeping up with me? I did graduate top of my class far beyond my time, I am more than capable of handling this job." I tapped the desk lightly with my brave words. "I'll be a storm you couldn't possibly predict coming." Heading out to the field after seeing his surprised expression, the action amusing to her, she left with her chest puffed out and head held high while waltzing out of the office and getting straight to work. 

**A**fter a short while working out in the field to familiarize herself with the workers and the layout, the actions she took against her new boss was something she found herself regretting. Acting foolishly before her superior, and even so much as taunted him!  
"I might have gotten a mark for insubordination…I need to act more grown up if I want the job here to last." Returning to the job at hand with each field and what the workers were tending to for the season, she found the job to be more taxing than I originally thought it be. The sun was beating down harshly without any clouds in the sky and found it nearly unbearable to be in it for such a long time. The workers were very endearing though. Teaching her a great deal of the work they pride themselves in and showing all that she needed to know for a good harvest, work was going smoothly for the first two weeks coming here.  
Keeping the pace and learning how to manage the property lines, it came to her attention that this would be something bigger than originally thought out. The vineyard would produce splendid wine in the near future, guaranteed.  
"At the rate we could establish the winery in the next couple years…" analyzing the charts and setting dates for each field, the process was smooth and near perfection like clockwork of the seasons. "This was the best decision for my career…" admiring the work and the place she came to, at the end of the day she would stare out her window and gaze at the beautiful scenery unfolding its splendor. The rolling hills something she would admire for the years she planned on staying here. 

_It was after a few months of working there that she understood why women were not chosen for the job. The strain on the back; the blaring sun beating down on everyone it touched; how the men would carry the barrels across the field and back without stopping; everything was requiring strength that women did not have. Nothing dampened her mood nor her ambition, she continued doing her job while always giving Solomon a bit of hardship and challenges during her years working under him.  
The two would banter over the smallest things. Governing the mills properly, soil reduction, labor cost, taxation of the land and much more. But the more they bickered the more the two grew closer each time until Konella realized she had begun feeling more than admiration for her boss. She kept her distance though when it was necessary. Never taking the chance for them to be alone for more than what was reasonable. She was young but not foolish enough to try and bait the CEO of an entire fortune. Her mind always left her in turmoil each time they spoke. How she acted or what she wore in front of him remained ordinary, so nothing was out of place. Contempt with the way things were, months had passed that fell on the day of her birthday that she took note of the workers out in the field to be too short for the heat wave that had hit them this season._

"Ms. Brooks you should head inside and cool off. You won't last out here much longer," one of the workers was concerned over her wellbeing in the blaring heat. Her pale skin being turned pink under the sun's rays and working the field without a hat. "We will manage the rest from here and report back to you in your office." Handing her his canteen of water to drink, she graciously accepted and gulped the cool liquid hungrily.

"With this heat we have to harvest all we can before the sun burns the fields all up. There's just not enough people here…" returning his canteen and getting the barrel filled with decent grapes, she could feel her body's exhaustion.

"The heat has taken many of us to the hospital, and right now you might be one of them. Please Ms. Brooks," eager to get her inside, she succumbed to his plea. "Thank you…" relieved he had won; she took a few steps forward before losing her balance and falling to the ground. "Oh no! Ms. Brooks I am going to retrieve help, please don't move!" He placed his hat on her head and handed her back his canteen before taking off to get help.

"Well this is humiliating…" covering her eyes and taking sips of water, she found it shameful to be beaten down so easily by the sun. "Here I thought it would be an easier birthday…" Staring at her own feet waiting for him to return, the sound of footsteps coming close gave her a sense of ease.

"I gave you the day off so you may enjoy it freely," hearing Solomon and looking in the direction she heard him, he was wearing his white suit as though the blaring sun had no effect on him.  
Always calm and never showing any changes to his features, it was like weather could never penetrate his visage.

"Mr. Goldsmith…" weakly speaking as her mouth was parched; he knelt to her level and examined her carefully. "I thought you were gone to deal with the business in—" he tapped her lips and looked as though annoyed she was even here on a day he had given her off to enjoy. He clicked his tongue after he removed the hat off her head and seeing how red she had become.

"My business plans can be rearranged," he interjected coolly. "Though I come to hear you had come to work without my approval when clearly you were given the day off." Speaking of his kindness once more, she bit her lower lip.

"There weren't enough people here on site to finish the harvest before the sun burns it all…"

"And you thought by coming here yourself you could pull off 20 workers worth of labor?" Making a valid observation, she remained quiet. "You sure know how to cause trouble to me without having to try, Ms. Brooks." His hands reached around her swiftly before she could react and was hoisted into his arms without breaking a strain.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Alarmed to him taking such action, her arms held tight around his neck, he looked at her with a carefree expression that she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

"We are heading to my office so you may recover before heading home."

"I- I can walk…" her voice low with embarrassment, he heard nothing and continued carrying her through the field until they reached his office.  
Even after walking through the field under the sun she felt cool whilst against him. Unheard of to not be overheated wearing a suit, she was drawn to him and his mysteries. Once he set her down on his couch and grabbed a glass of water, she watched with careful observation his unchanging demeanor. He truly didn't feel uncomfortable wearing his suit in this heatwave and showed no sign of sweating even after carrying her.

"I gave you this day to enjoy your 21st birthday Ms. Brooks. Why would you endanger yourself today of all days?" Startling her getting interrogated, she graciously accepted the water then kept her eyes off him to calm herself down.

"I never asked for today off. There really was no reason for you to give me such a privilege." He seemed annoyed yet rather perplexed on what to say. She may have gone too far and should be thanking him rather than rebuking. "But the thought was appreciated…" quickly adding the fact, he still seemed bewildered.

"Then perhaps I have not given you reason to take leave?"

Her heart thumped loudly. Her face flushed to the thought of herself never parting from him and she tried erasing the senseless feelings she held. The cool water could not put out the flame she had lit inside herself towards him. If he knew the truth why she never took days off he would fire her for sure for misconduct.

"Ms. Brooks," eyeing her across the room and veering her face in another direction, she felt his hand slide coolly onto her cheek and had her face him.

**_When did he come so close?_** Startled how silent he was in his approach, he softened his expression and asked in a hushed tone, almost an eager whisper.

"Is there a reason why you refuse to take time off? Are you here for reasons I should know about?"  
His playful demeanor throwing her off-course to keep her distance, he gently rubbed his thumb on her cheek and held her in his hand.  
His hair fell in front of his face and she brushed it back without thinking and felt her embarrassment burn on her face. Feeling his every move, every whisper of breath, her body flushed hot. Trying to find other words to come out and feeling his fingers slip down her nape and brushing her slender collarbone, her head just blanked as she stared at him waiting for his next move. His eyes traveled slowly up and down her body. Fingers gently brushing skin and peeling back the blouse so smoothly it was hardly noticeable he even began doing it. Pressing forward on the couch on one knee and hovering above, he was hesitant doing more but his wistful gaze transfixed on continuing.  
The distance was palpable.

"I find you rather endearing Konella…you are the first woman that has ever stood so bravely before me. You give me excitement like no other has before." Kissing the back of her hand and waiting for a reply, she swallowed dryly and wet her lips. All that distance she placed between them was now completely shattered. Daring to think this could be something more.

"…I am?" Rather surprised to hear of this, she took a chance and nervously touched his cheek and wanted to feel the truth of his words. His skin was so soft and his hair even softer as she felt his locks curl around her fingertips when he took hold of her hand once more and kissed her palm sweetly. "Solomon…?" Whispering his name as he continued to lavish her hand in soft kisses, he was close enough to kiss her lips when he whispered if it was ok.  
"It's more than ok…" tasting his lips on hers like the sweet forbidden fruit, the temptation taking them both. They ravaged each other hungrily as two being thirsting for the oasis in a desert. The distance they kept was no more as their strong ebullition took hold of them.


	11. Waltz Through Memory Lane pt4

_**Hello readers, tis me again. As said in the last chapter I mistakenly placed the rough draft version on here rather than the one I was working on. This will be my last update message so that the story will continue on. Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your input in the comments. Mahalo plenty!  
**_

* * *

_Konella and Solomon reveled in their newfound love for one another and continued to be indefatigable the coming years. Before long the year was already 1925 when Solomon took a chance in revealing his true self to her. The moment of truth revealed to Konella proved her indominable spirit and love towards him unconditionally. Startled and merely confused at first sight of his form, she looked past the form of a beast and loved the man nonetheless. Remaining resolute, it was with great surprise that Konella was bearing a child. Fortuitous of their miracle between a chevalier and a human, it came down to both of them experiencing something completely uncharted in their newfound relationship. To understand the unknown how the baby would be born Solomon dedicated himself to research in the medical field. Taking small samples of DELTA-67 blood and Konella's, research began small with destructive failures.  
In time as Konella's pregnancy moved along they moved to a small house located in the outskirts of Paris. A place they could reside in peace without anyone able to see them if the child was born different than expected. Solomon being a medic out on the field during the war proved useful in times of check-ups. Though the lacked certain amenities, Diva's other chevalier—Nathan, would assist with great enthusiasm._

"Solomon darling are you certain the baby is yours?" Nathan asked within closed walls as Solomon's hands stopped moving to look at Nathan with question. "It's never been done before, a human and a chevalier. No records of this being possible even exist, so how can you be so sure the child she bears is even yours to begin with?"

"Nathan, as much as I humbly respect you and brother Amshel, this joke of yours is taking it rather far."

"Oh it's no joke." Nathan seemed determined to figure something out and peeked through the window to Konella sitting under a tree reading a book. "I've been around for quite sometime and have found no reason to believe such a human to exist that could possibly bear a child conceived by a monster."

"You would think your accusations over after seeing this then," Solomon went to his desk and pulled out several documents and handed it to Nathan. "I've been running hundreds of tests with the blood samples taken from Konella. My DNA runs in her womb acting as a catalyst for the baby. Each month I've taken new samples and she has been developing certain antibodies that regulate her to carry our child."

"…Solomon," Nathan's voice darkened, he seemed almost fearful seeing the results. "Burn these findings."

"What?" Snatching the papers back and aghast to be asked such a thing, Nathan withheld nothing.

"Diva will seek to destroy them. Konella isn't a Queen Solomon, therefore not only will that make our little princess quiver with anger it will also activate the instinct to kill the competition."

"What possible competition could that possibly be against Diva?"

"Diva doesn't like to share what's hers."

"…what could I possibly do then to protect her?" Realizing Nathan's words and the possibility Diva would not accept Konella, it was devastating to him. "I don't know what to do…"

"There is a way you could make this work Solomon."

"Please, tell me, I'll do anything!" Desperate as he clung onto Nathan's sleeve, he faced Solomon directly and sat him down.

"Slowly inject DELTA-67 into Konella and turn her yourself."

"That will kill her!"

"Not if you're careful about the dose. You have been researching Diva's blood since you've become a chevalier. You have a bright mind Solomon, you could possibly achieve this."

"…I'll need more than just these blood samples that have been diluted, I'll need to extract blood from Diva herself."

"If you truly wish for this happiness you've come across, do what you will and achieve it through your own hands."  
Nathan was particularly serious when speaking to Solomon for the remaining day before returning to Diva's side. Solomon appreciated the information given and placed his studies as priority. Konella never knew all that he was doing other than his work at the winery, but as he gazed at her to know that time was not on his side for long, his decisions would have to be now before it was too late. With little to go on he revealed his efforts to her near the coming of their sons birth and she fully supported him.

_The year was 1926 when Trae Goldsmith was born.  
Having raised their newborn son in Paris for a year, Konella was always caught gazing at the child with such tenderness and care she had wished it could last eternity. An everlasting wish of hers to always be there for her son as he would grow and leave her steadily behind.  
With time being a constant reminder of Konella's mortality, Solomon would be gone for several months on end developing a way to give Konella—his beloved—longevity with the aid of his Queen's blood that granted him immortality.  
Konella gave her all to give her son enough memories to last his lifetime. Trinkets that would outlast her time and grow with him. Taking photographs and storing them in albums to preserve them, writing letters, creating art together; every action to become a memory no matter what may happen. She did it all but always gave a thought for the possibility that there would be a way to stop her own time as well.  
That wish was granted.  
The day of her 28th birthday, Solomon had returned with a special tincture of blood from his queen that would stop Konella's flow of time. It was a long awaited journey for the both of them, but Solomon's tireless efforts were not in vain and they could truly begin their timeless lives together._


	12. Struck With The Truth

**Saya**

Konella has been taken by one of Diva's chevalier barely two days ago now. Haji has been pacing the room without anyone catching on to his worry while the others continue their search for Diva's crate. I've been wondering for a while now…but why are they unconcerned about Konella if she's supposed to be my chevalier like Haji? And his reaction to her capture has been strange to say the least.

"Saya, you alright?" Kai and Riku peeked around the corner to see me moping by the window overthinking everything. "Want to grab something to eat?"

"…I'm not feeling too hungry Kai."

"You haven't really eaten since that day we left that abandoned mansion with the children."

"I'm still trying to figure out how you and Riku got there!" Scolding them for being in danger when they left them somewhere safe to begin with, Kai seemed on edge.

"Look, Saya, I know with Konella not being here and all that's happened you might be confused…David and the others are not worried since—"

"That's just it Kai, why aren't they worried? She was taken by a chevalier belonging to Diva! I was right there and I couldn't do anything to get her back!"  
They both took a step back while Haji came to check on me for my outburst.

"My head hurts remembering what happened and I'm just so angry at myself…"

"Saya…" Riku came to comfort me but I shrugged him off and got up to walk away from them.

"I'm sorry, please just leave me alone so I can think."  
Stepping outside to the veranda and overlooking the small town we're staying at made me realize just how small I felt knowing nothing. Between my memories and all the lives that were lost for the lack of fight I have, it's no wonder David and the others tell me nothing.

"Saya…"  
Haji was quiet in his approach, concerned how I spoke out on my brothers perhaps. But he was no better than anyone here. Keeping secrets and not telling me anything I want to know.

"Can I ask you something about Konella?" Being careful as not to give him any means of escape, he was hesitant.

"What do you wish to know?"

"Traveling with you and Konella has opened my world to so many dangers and confusing memories, but no matter what memories I've seen for myself none have been of Konella. At the school she seemed so different to me. She was scared and confused of something while we were there finding the phantom but the moment she met Diva's chevalier at the ball it's all come apart! Why was that man so keen on having Konella who is supposed to be like you—my chevalier as you've claimed. Why do I feel no connection to her as I do to you? Can you explain that to me?"  
Quiet and not giving any reason that he would speak, a sigh escaped him when he closed the doors behind him so no one could hear him.

"As you've seen, Konella is different than I am. A chevalier is dedicated to their Queen no matter the distance. My purpose is to remain by your side…"

"…she doesn't feel that, does she?" Having felt that several times considering her actions being so different compared to Haji's, I didn't want to admit it being a possibility. "But she's like you though. The enhanced ability, never aging, being able to heal and everything else that you're capable of doing." He seemed defeated when he looked at me and before I could say anything else he stopped me to speak.

"During your slumber is when I met Konella." Stating it rather quickly, it was shocking, and I wasn't quite expecting him to say that. A little taken back, he had me sit down to listen to his tale.

"Along my travels back to Russia I came across a strange sight…"

O~O~O

_That winter was no different than others, but when I was traversing through an open path to an old abandoned town I came across a woman half-buried in the snow. I thought her to be dead considering her skin was gray and her body lifeless._

"I should not bother with corpses from this village." Passing by without a second thought, my hearing caught a subtle heartbeat from the woman. Disregarding my own statement and unburying the woman to press against her chest to hear her heart truly beating, I quickly picked her up and ran to the closest building that remained intact.  
Finding decent kindling for the fire and getting the woman close to the warmth, it was daunting to find her wearing a wedding dress?

"Was there a celebration somewhere?" Having not seen anything on his travels but noticing a strange tear in the back of her dress, I slipped off the soaking garment and proceeded to undress her to put a dry blanket around her instead. "I do hope she is not the type to hit before questioning…" feeling that she was not getting warm quick enough and undressing myself to apply skin contact, her body began to flush color, relieving me that she was going to be alright.

_I was at a loss to what I could do for this woman if she were to wake up and ask what had happened. There was no event close by that I could find to return her to. Apart from the gown she wore and depicting that she was perhaps a bride, it was strange to find her alive buried in the snow the way she was. Since I did not require sleep I was able to regulate her body temperature in a couple hours and monitor her through the night. She was a small woman with delicate features, a trait not found in Russian women._

"Mmn…"  
Her small voice a mere whisper, it was enough to invoke relief she was waking up.

"Mmn…" stirring more and more as she propped herself up on her own, her eyes fluttered open to reveal a startling green color that glowed in the dim light of the fire. "Where…" her voice cracked and forced to cough when I stumbled to stand and cut myself on the pike to stoke the fire. "!"  
Her head snapped to my direction, eyes glowing bright as she got on all fours and begin crawling towards me.

"What is happening?" Questioning her movement as she lunged, her body on mine and a fierce grip on my arm, she tore the bandages off my chiropteran arm and began licking the blood. "Chiropteran?!" I spoke out and tried throwing her off me when I found I was useless doing so.  
She drank deep gulps of blood from the cut, biting onto my arm and opening the wound to retrieve more intakes before I was capable of removing her off me. An alarming strength. Though if she is a chiropteran I have to kill her before she completes her form.

"…who are you?"  
Her sweet words the first to be spoken, I sensed no danger from her and saw her eyes stop glowing and become normal. Confused to what transpired, carefully wrapping my arm and moving to the side slowly to not provoke her, she was staring at me with a blank stare.

"That would be my question for you…" taking precaution and reaching for my cello case where I held Saya's katana in, she groaned while holding her head. "Do you know what you did?"

"…not…really…" cringing in pain as she looked at her hands, there was doubt in her expression? "What happened to me?" Asking herself as she stared at her bloody hands, she didn't scream in terror nor did she think it was strange either.  
A complete anomaly.

"You attacked me…for my blood." Answering her as she looked back up in my direction, she only cocked her head to the side. "This," showing her my arm and believing she would shriek seeing it as a monstrous thing, she did nothing?

"I'm sorry…"  
Taken aback from her apology, no longer reaching for the case, I stared at her with perhaps hundreds of questions.

"Are you not scared?"

"…why would I be scared?" Honest answer, her heart rate steady to reveal she wasn't lying, I was disoriented by her. "Do you know why I have no clothes?"  
Only considering it now that she was nude I recovered the blanket and wrapped it around her with embarrassment

"The dress you wore was soaked, thus I removed it to get you warm." Explaining myself quickly before she thinks anything else, she looked at the dress I had thrown in the corner and approached it.  
Watching her carefully as she picked it up she seemed rather confused by it. Her fingers caressed every seem, running her hand down the lace, yet her eyes showed nothing to why she wore it.

"Were you getting married?"

"…I don't know…"  
At a loss, she continued to stare at the dress and would sometimes hold her head as though remembering was painful.

"Do you know your name?" I asked.  
Taking several minutes before answering, looking back to me with a blank stare at times, she gave an uncertain answer.

"Konella?"  
Sensing no danger from her as she placed the dress down and sat by the fire, I approached quietly and sat beside her to see if I sensed what I did earlier of her being a chiropteran.

"My name is Haji…do you remember anything else?"  
Shaking her head and staring at the flames, it wasn't noticeable at first but when I looked back at her to ask her something else she was quietly crying without realizing it.

"I feel empty…" speaking sadly as she quietly cried, I could only listen. "Haji, I feel so alone for some reason…hallow…I wonder why I don't remember anything?"

"…perhaps it will come back to you in time."

"I hope so…"

_I didn't know it then, but as we stayed in the house for a month trying to discover herself and see if she recalled anything by returning to the tree where I found her, we were both reliant on one another. As someone who walked countless lands on my own while waiting for Saya to awaken, it was comforting having someone to speak with and explore the countries with. Konella was still a woman of mystery for me for the time I grew to know her. She required food rather than blood unlike when we first met. Sleep was certainly a strange request though she showed no signs being completely human. Rogue chiropterans we've found would lung to attack her, identifying her as an enemy rather than a comrade. I personally trained her after fighting several chiropteran encounters. Not once did she rebuke my teachings or the way my arm looked each time I unveiled it to fight._

O~O~O

"You see Saya, Konella and I shared the last 28 years together as I awaited your awakening. Though it was early that you awoke from the cocoon, to find you as an innocent girl with no memory of your past was rather confusing for me."  
He seemed so hurt speaking of his past and how he found Konella that I didn't know what to say to him. She was found in the middle of the snow and has only known Haji this entire time. What did she feel when meeting me? Did Haji think she would come to accept me and call herself my chevalier with confidence not knowing who she was?

"Did she even want to be my chevalier?" Realizing I spoke out loud and seeing Haji's eyes widen, it was enough of an answer to see him turn away. "Did she not want to at all?"

"There were doubts…Konella seemed eager to meet you at first, but when she did she seemed more troubled than before and wanted to know you from a distance."

"Then those times I rejected her…how I tried being friendly with her at the school, she was confused of me?"

"I believe so. Though I do think it was her memories trying to come forth each time she spent close to you that harmed her in a way."

"Then why would Diva's chevalier want with her and call her his? You found her in the middle of nowhere in Russia, not once making contact with him and now this happens?"

"Konella is different from a chevalier…" he admitted.

"Explain it to me." Demanding this from him, needing to hear why she was so different, he seemed troubled.

"As the years passed, few occurrences would happen that made Konella seem somewhat like you."

"What?"

"…she needs to eat but not as frequently as you. Her body cannot regulate temperature as I do and feels the elements just like any human. That power she used against you—"

"How does she do that?" Interrupting him, he shook his head not knowing. "I remember her using it on me before…her eyes glow and then I can't remember anything that's happened."

"It is a unique trait of hers, but it comes with consequences and inflicts harm."

"She gets hurt?" Unaware of that and asking for more details, he didn't want to say more about it. "Haji, if Konella isn't a chiropteran or a chevalier, what could she possibly be?"

"I have my theory, but I don't believe it to be possible."  
I wanted him to continue, but he seemed to be done speaking and walked away. My mind was filled to the brim with questions and wanting to speak with Konella. Though she was with the enemy, so I believe her to be, I wanted her to be ok.


	13. To Be Whole Again

**Konella**

Hearing loud noises and feeling my body racked with pain, I was barely able to open my eyes and get myself upright to find I was in a room to what seemed to be an old hotel. Curtains were old and torn, the floor was unkempt, the bed I was lying on was musty and smelled of mold. Getting off and dusting my clothes, I realized that the dress I was wearing at the ball was no longer on me. Wearing a light blue blouse and dark blue jeans and my shoes being black boots, I tried remembering what had happened to me during the dance that would have brought me here. My head was swimming in fog that I couldn't recall anything past dancing with that man. Feeling my heart pound remembering it, there was something missing…something that I figured out…but what?

A smell wafted slightly past the door and I turned ready to fight when a man came into the room wearing a yellow hazard suit?

"The subject appears to be awake." His voice muffled by the mask, I glared and lowered myself to leap at him when another man came into the room that wore no hazmat suit but was sucking on a piece of candy. French descent by his features, and the slight aura about him that is most befitting those born in France.

"So I see," a light accent, the man looked at me with piqued curiosity. "So you are the wife of _Monsieur_ Goldsmith, yes? What a surprise to find the man wed to such a charming _mademoiselle_."  
Saying nothing and trying not to show how confused I was, he seemed to already know that I was and walked around the man and took hold of a clipboard I failed to see hanging on the wall. "Konella Brooks, born in the year 1901. Graduated university at the tender age of 19 and began working for the Goldsmith company since 1920. Supposedly turned in the year 1928 and has since been registered as dead until now." He pushed up his glasses and smirked while speaking and he seemed so proud of his findings. "Your test results are a remarkable find _mademoiselle_, very raw data for me to study. I was of course advised to keep you from harm during any of my testing," waving his hand nonchalantly, my apprehension was sensible.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, yes, the amnesia!" Like he discovered something grand, he walked over to a table with small items on it and picked up a bottle and held it up with a grin. "I've been told you suffered a traumatic experience during the change and presumed you didn't make it through the process. I'm positive that this will trigger some of your memories that seem to be hidden away in your mind." Not waiting for me to consent he sprayed something in my face and I coughed when I inhaled. The pungent smell seared my throat but flashes of light hurt my eyes and something of a boy came into my view and hitched my breathing. Not reaching out at first and holding my arms, a certain smell I was familiar with came to me and groped my senses. I felt a little more at ease to what was happening when someone took hold of me from behind and the reverie was gone immediately!

"Wh-" unable to break free and being held by something incredibly stronger than I am, a man from the feel of it, he put his lips on the back of my neck and gently started caressing my skin with his lips. "Stop!" Feeling vulnerable, the man who sprayed me seemed pleased and began leaving the room while I struggled to break free from whoever was molesting me!

"Konella," the man whispered my name in my ear, making my chest tighten. His lips playing with my nape and back up to my ear that I felt my body grow hot and weak under his touch. "Remember what we were, _Mon Cherie_. You and I have a past with one another that can never be replaced." His hand loosened their grip on me, gently turning me around to face him.  
It was the man I danced with at the ball. His blonde hair ever so slightly unkempt with his crisp white suit made his brilliant light green eyes show. Mesmerized by his appearance once more but quickly recalling what was happening I stepped back and watched his features show a sad expression.

"You truly can't remember?"

"I…" gingerly rubbing my arms and feeling a prick of unease, I couldn't help but feel there was something more to him than meets the eye. I know I felt something during the dance but right now my head…it's all a blur. "I don't know my past if that's what you're getting at. Sometimes I think I'm seeing something, but it quickly fades out and I'm left with nothing." Recalling how he spoke of me during the ball, how he knew my name, I faced him head-on. "You mentioned my name before ever introducing myself. Acting the way you do means you have the answers I want." looking at him once more and not realizing I stepped closer to him, I touched his face and slid my fingers through his hair and stared at him.  
He didn't even move to my touch and just allowed me to do as I pleased. As I continued touching him and seeing his reactions become submissive, it was strange yet calming at the same time. "When we were dancing I had images flash in my head that made me dizzy. An operatic song being sung, blankets of snow covering the landscape, blank faces of people watching me dance…someone holding me…" trailing off and looking down, he cupped my cheek and had me look back up at him and I felt tears wanting to break through. "Who are you?" My voice cracked. The nagging feeling in the back of my head trying to rip me open was making me feel sick.

He gingerly touched me, withholding himself far more than before as leaning in to tap his forehead to mine. "I'm your husband, _mon amour_." he answered softly.  
It wasn't the answer I expected to hear and somehow just didn't register with me. I don't believe that was the case and I touched his face once more and tried looking into his eyes for the answer I sought. Or maybe just seeking something I can't find myself. What was I wanting from him?

"I'm—" A loud crash interrupted him, he hugged me quickly while glass shattered from the window. Gunshots were being fired from the outside and I could sense the man's discomfort when he heard the ruckus. "We must go," he urgently spoke while taking hold of my hand and running out of the room. I followed blindly while hearing the screams of battle and gunshots echoing the grounds. We rounded several corners before seeing a group of men with the French man and getting their orders to move the container as quickly as possible.

"What is happening?" my blood boiling to fight, he looked calm as he looked at me and held my hand with gentleness it made me stutter in thought.

"Some unpleasant guests arrived to ruin the mood. Karl will handle them while we take off."  
I wanted to ask who Karl was but was whisked away through the halls until we were outside to an old courtyard with a helicopter rearing its engine. Being led easily to the helicopter and boarding it, the man looked back and seemed to stare at someone across the field.

My eyes widened to seeing Haji and Saya standing on the other side. Saya looked ragged with her torn clothes and blood splattered on herself. She looked dangerous wielding her katana and showing no sign of letting her guard down. I pulled away from the man loading me into the helicopter and stepped forward on the field to speak with them. The last we saw one another was at the school and I knew not of what transpired since. She seemed so angry at something. Seething as her eyes glowed red with her katana in hand, she charged?  
I watched her run across the field like a raging warrior out for blood with Haji behind. Something happened, I could tell at a single glance she wasn't in her right mind. But this isn't the way she would act…something feels off with her.

"AAAHHHH!"  
Saya raged with her sword raised and out of pure necessity I stopped her from hurting me with my ability. She stopped instantly, gasping for breath as her glare bore into me to what I was doing to her.

"Saya…why would you attack me?" She didn't respond, rather, acting like a savage beast out for only a fight. She was incoherent of speech? "Haji?" I looked to him and he wasn't even speaking to me much less looking my way. He was looking at the man behind me…something was off about all this and I wanted to speak with them but this didn't feel like I could without one of them fighting with me. "Both of you…why are you like this?" More towards Saya as she kept trying to break free from my grasp, her eyes were rabid with anger and her teeth gnashed together.

"Release her." Haji ordered. There was no mistaking it either, he wasn't asking me, it was an order. He even held his case as though to tell me he would inflict harm.

"Haji…are you threatening me?" His glower the only answer I needed, I realized what protecting his queen truly meant. My grip lessened on Saya and she coughed only once before stabbing her katana into the ground and raised her head to speak.

"He's Diva's chevalier! Why are you just standing there with the enemy rather than coming back to us?!" her eyes almost pleading, I was confused to her proclamation.

"I began to before you started charging your sword at me!" My blood rising, feeling my anger come forth but withholding it desperately, I turned back to the man behind me calling himself my 'husband' and just needed answers.

"Diva's chevalier?" he didn't object, but there was something about him being a chevalier that made sense to me. Like I knew this was the case but didn't understand as to why it felt this way. "…Haji," facing Haji, he stepped forward and the air between us seemed stiff and cold. "You know something about me, don't you?" The way he looked at me made me nervous. I was looking for answers about myself for years traveling with him and came up with nothing until meeting this man at the ball. Answers upon answers are slowly being laid out for me no matter how confused I am, and Haji _knows_ something and won't even tell me?

"Konella…" the man behind me took hold of my shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"!"

"He knows nothing about you," he answered. "Your past lies with me. The present you is lost and confused and sheltered because of him." His voice darkened, making me shiver.  
Saya approached with her katana in hand again and I felt this urge to take it from her and throw it aside for wielding it in front of him—in front of me! I was ready to defend against her when the man took hold of my hand gently without sensing his movement.

"She is my queen," the man answered, stopping Saya in her tracks.  
Both Saya and Haji seemed a little surprised, but neither of them faltered with their intent to hurt him. "My wife who I've chosen and that has chosen me; there is no other way of understanding her the way I do." Changing his wording and seeing the two falter a little, Haji didn't seem all that surprised? Did he know of this? Has he always known something? Haji stepped forward ready to speak out and I gripped the man's hand a little tighter waiting to hear him.

"She is—" a loud boom echoed the area and the building we were in had blown up. Half of it was in smoke while small chiropterans started flooding the area. "Saya!" Haji looked away from me back to Saya and something about that notion didn't hurt as bad as it did before.  
Something has changed in me since the dance and meeting with this man. I felt nearly whole being beside him and yet something is still _missing_. And those words he spoke…calling me queen…those words are meant for Saya and Diva, not me. Yet those words resound closely in my breast.

"We must go _mon amore_," he guided me a few paces back to make a leap back to the helicopter and Haji's cello case went flying past us and barely managing to dodge from being hit. "Really now," exasperated, he turned back and frowned. "You cannot have what is mine Haji, it just isn't meant to be."

"You will return her, chevalier." He stated angrily with a calm demeanor before the man faced me once more and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand.

"Go inside the helicopter and wait for me _mon amore_, this will only be a second." I retreated back a few steps and boarded the helicopter. I was shocked to find Haji still wishing for my return even after what he just did…what transpired and the hostility; I'm so utterly confused.  
Finding purchase with my feet and hanging on while we took flight into the air, I sat watching the two fight from above. I saw another come into the fray and it was the chairman back at the school who we faced called Phantom. He battled against Saya with fervent strikes while Haji battled the man I was with and something kept nagging me behind my skull of his name.  
The French man called him Mr. Goldsmith, but that wasn't the name I needed to hear. With the helicopter getting higher into the air and seeing another carrying a freight, the same one I discovered at the school, my heart pounded when I recalled speaking to Julia about Diva. She was inside the freight only inches away from me and I could feel her presence. The queen's presence was something unexplained. I felt both happy and fearful of Diva. A want and need to be beside her that I never felt with Saya.  
Looking back to the battle below and hearing Saya scream out in pain as the Phantom broke her arms, he leapt up into the sky and latched onto one of the helicopters and I looked around the area for signs of Haji and Goldsmith and found them still going at it. The battle seemed to be going nowhere with a clear winner and Haji got distracted with Saya's scream that gave the man an opening to kick him across the ground. He took that chance and looked up towards where I was and wings sprouted from his back, ascending towards me with speed I've never seen even from Haji.

"I've returned," smiling without care that he had blood on his hands and a ruined suit, I reached out gingerly to take hold of him and he took mine and pulled me out and hovered in the sky.

"Why am I not afraid of you," I asked more to myself rather than him, he chuckled and held me tightly while soaring in the sky without care. Though the raging flames of battle and alarming screams would make this scene inadequate to feel so at peace, nothing seemed to have mattered.

"Because you've accepted me with your entire being and I've not once regretted showing you my form." Kissing my forehead, I clutched his clothes and peered at his green eyes.

"Your name…what is your name?"

His gentle features calming, he leaned in close to answer me. "Solomon Goldsmith," whispering his name softly in my ear I felt my head burst.  
Images raged through my head like a roaring river. Every dream I've had over the years came flooding into my mind and pieces of images began to meld and fix itself together. The dancing in the snow, the time at the beach, a child's laughter, the person who always called out for me…it was him…it's always been him!

"Solomon…" his name merely a whisper on my lips, it was enough to entice him to kiss me. His enticing kiss tasting like the sea and entwined with the smell of sandalwood and pine, my senses were overloading but I couldn't stop myself feeling him against me.  
Everything was coming in too fast for me to process, though the kiss made me hungry for more I pulled away to try and make sense of everything.

"I will never let you go…" brushing his thumb on my lips as he returned to the helicopter, the final look to Haji and Saya burned into my head as they stared at us from below. Everything was a blur of emotions for me that before I could really think what to say or do next I felt my body cave in to darkness and lost consciousness.


	14. To Be whole Again Pt 2

**To Be Whole Again**

The halls all look exactly the same…every corner turned another identical one emerges. How many days have gone by now? Two? Three? Maybe more? Everything is hard to process after hearing his name, watching Saya and Haji stare at me with betrayal written in their eyes, everything I've known is coming undone and I'm losing my mind.

"_Are you experiencing another migraine?_" The French man, which I was later introduced to as Van Argiano, spoke over the speaker as he was watching me from the cameras. "_If you return to your room I can administer another dose to help ease the pain._"

"_Or_ you could let me out of this maze and allow me to roam freely."  
The silence the answer given, there really was nothing more to do other than entering four different rooms that were present in this place. One was a bedroom with simple antiquities. The second was another room but decorated more humbly to that of a civil servant living. The third was adequate, but it lacked modestly and seeing it once was enough for me to not enter that room again. As for the fourth one, the room I chose to be in, was simple and elegant. Light French décor made the room comely to the eye. Simple hues of blue and lavender touched the walls and trim, giving off a homely living that made me feel rather calm. Though I'd wish it wasn't a room to be held captive in, Van hasn't done anything to harm me or make me feel threatened in any way since waking up.

"_Your symptoms of amnesia are quite peculiar mademoiselle. Giving you mere image samples to help trigger your memory was the right thing for us to do._"

"And yet I can't recall much of anything anymore…where is that man named Solomon? Why haven't I seen him?"

"_Monsieur Goldsmith is a busy man and must attend to his duties. He placed you here for safety under my careful supervision._"

"…how long have I been in here?" Hearing no answer, there really was something off about him not answering a simple question but remaining calm had to be my priority. "Ok, fine, then please send some food for me to eat…I'm really hungry."

"_You feel hunger? Anything in particular you wish to dine on?_" His fascination to my weakness something I can't avoid, I shook my head and hoped he'd just give me something to consume. "_Anything else I need to be aware of? Something that you require during your stay here to be more comfortable?_"

"…would be nice to talk to a person rather than a speaker from the walls…" mumbling it out so perhaps he couldn't hear me, I returned to my room and found the migraine pills waiting on the small round table with a glass of water.  
Leaning in the chair with my head craned back to stare at the blank ceiling, my mind was filled with so many images running amuck that it was hard to concentrate what had transpired and what was a dream.  
I couldn't keep up with it all.  
Shutting my eyes and seeing Haji and Saya distraught of me abandoning them to the images of my dreams dancing with Solomon in the snow and playing somewhere on a beach or out in a field of grapevines everything was such a mess and I couldn't stabilize what my reality really was.

Hearing a click of a door opening and peeking through closed lids, a young man I've yet to meet was bringing a tray of food in. Sitting upright and staring at him quietly he didn't seem to be alarmed of me and I didn't feel threatened by him either. But the awkward silence was quite palpable.

"Thank you…" seeing the plate of food being fruits and small meats spread with different varieties of cheese, it was amusing to see such a fancy little dish brought out. The spread was all my favorites to? Was Van able to decipher me so easily to know what kind of food I would like or is this merely coincidence? Peeking back up to the young man and needing to say something to break the ice in the room, I went for a light joke. "And here I was expecting gruel, hehe." Couldn't help but laugh to my own joke the young man smiled endearingly and took a seat at the opposite end of the room. "You're not leaving?"

"No…I wish to speak with you for a while." His voice was smooth and rich as silk. From this small distance I noticed his hazel colored eyes shine in contrast to his blonde-brown hair. The length being perhaps just past his shoulder, he tied it loosely and had a blue ribbon tying his hair in place. The clothes he wore were modern, yet his entire aura almost felt like a renaissance painting resonating from him. A slim build but could tell he was not weak by the way the clothes fitted.

"I don't mind the company…as long as you don't mind answering perhaps a few of my questions." Playing some cards to see what I could get away with, he seemed amused enough.

"If I'm able I will be more than happy to oblige." His mannerisms were charming to say the least. There was nothing to question if he was going to harm me or not, but if he could answer even just one question I would be a bit more relieved.

"Do you know how many days it's been since I've come here?"  
He didn't answer me right away so I figured that he too wasn't going to tell me. But surprised that he showed such an elegant smile as he folded his hand onto his lap and begin to answer.

"Fifteen days…you woke up thirteen days ago after Solomon brought you here to be cared for."

"Two weeks…" not having it felt that it was this long it made a little more sense as to why I felt hungry. My eating cycle of a month has kicked in and soon I will be needing to sleep for perhaps a month to adequately regain my strength after all that's happened. But still everything is really foggy to me since that day with Saya and Haji. The revelation of my past was given to me and I blacked out. Why?

"You seem flustered?" He was leaning forward now, his expression worried of my state that it caught me off guard to jump out of my seat. "Does something trouble you?"

"…is it possible to speak with Solomon anytime soon?"

"He is currently away for business, but I can be of adequate assistance to you as well."

"…ok then," there really was no other way around it. "After answering my question, please provide more for me. Where exactly am I? Was I brought here for any reason? Do you know of Saya and Haji's whereabouts?" Thinking if there was anything else I was missing I heard the man start to laugh.  
Seeing his face so lively with laughter made my chest flutter in an odd fashion. He looked strangely like Solomon and had similar features of him. He ran his hand through his hair with such a child-like manner that when he stopped laughing to stare at me he was beside himself.

"An onslaught of questions sure seems to run in the family." Standing up and coming towards me, there was something about him that I should know of but couldn't quite place it. "To think our meeting would be this much fun and full of wonder. But I will try to answer all you've asked." He stopped before reaching where I was and began to answer. "You are in Paris in a facility for research and recreational support. When you lost consciousness, we brought you here so you can be monitored if suffering any damage to your head. Saya and Haji's location are unknown to us as of right now due to the Red Shield's evasive standards."  
Impressed and bewildered to have those answered, there was one more.

"…my last question then…" staring at his eyes as they never wavered away from mine, I reached out to touch his arm and something warm flowed through my mind. A strange yet familiar feeling crept into my chest that made my lips curl into a smile as though reminiscent of something. It felt like a lifetime while feeling his touch and seeing a small memory run through my head. A joyous occasion…a small life held in my arms as each day presented to be a new adventure. A baby's laughter rung in my ears and I snapped back to reality and felt tears running down my cheeks.

"Is it painful?" He asked kindly.

"…who…?" My lips quivered when his hand moved to wipe the tears off my face and have me look at him. His brows knitted together, there was something more to him than I was imagining and I touched his face to understand what it was I felt exactly.

"_M__ère_…" he whispered softly while caressing my hand against his cheek.  
Something snapped in my head as hundreds, perhaps thousands of images flooded my mind and I couldn't handle the sudden rush of memories coming together that the last thing I saw was the man panicked as I felt the ground and everything else go dark.


	15. To Be Whole Again Pt 3

My head is spinning, making my stomach churn. The room was empty as well with no sign of the young man. Looking at myself in a mirror across the room I was in another set of clothing than what I originally had on and wanted to shout to whoever touched me!

"_You've come to…are you feeling nauseous? Do you require anything to ease your pain?_" Van spoke like usual over the speaker, but there was nothing I could ask that would help me with these sudden blackouts. "_Your memories are coming back to you rather quickly, yet it seems you are incapable of handling the rate of which they come to you._"

"So what you're saying is that I'm crashing from memory overdose?" Sounding silly, but this seemed to be the outcome, the clicking of a door was heard and I looked to see that young man once more coming in to see me. "Come to see if I live?" Though half accusing if he was also the one to change my clothes.

"Of course," his tone gentle, it was his eyes that said something more but I wasn't sure what it meant. "I worry of your health since your blackouts are rather difficult to predict. This tea I made should help ease your stress."

"Tea…?" An odd thing to bring, it wasn't until I smelled the aroma that I felt obligated to sit up and have a cup. "…I never got your name."

"…are you sure? Perhaps it slipped your mind."  
Was he seriously playing games with me?

"I'm certain I didn't hear it…" he didn't answer right away which brought me to really look at him and figure him out. So playing along I figure it would be the only option. "Then I know of your name?"

"Yes."

"We've met once before then?"

"Numerous times before."  
Numerous times? "Was it a long time ago or recently?"

"Both."

"That's not very helpful young man, I need more than that to go on if I'm to recall your name." Scolding him as he held back a snicker, he was beside himself watching me think and mull his answers over.

"You and I have met many times each day and you would call out to me with arms wide open." His hint was overdone but something was triggering a memory, but this time I realized it was coming and let myself slowly receive it. "Each night and day I will hear you call for me…we'd play on the beach…roll in the fields of flowers…play in the forest."  
My recollection from when I was in Okinawa hit me when I saw a child running at me. That time I was baffled by the sudden image but now I felt like that was it. This feeling that kept swelling in my chest over and over again that continued to swell when seeing Riku, I didn't think it could be a possibility.

"How old were you?"  
A smile creased his features as he knelt down beside the bed. "I was perhaps three maybe four years old."

"You," my eyes watered and a strong overwhelming desire encompassed my actions as I reached out to him, touching his face and hair while steadily staring at his eyes that the words that formed on my lips felt the most natural. "Son?" No… "Trae?"

"_Mère_…I entreat you to remember me…don't let it overwhelm you." His eager gentleness was uplifting as I held onto him and allowed the memories to flow. Painful as they were, holding onto him and feeling the rampant emotion coming out, his name kept echoing in my head repeatedly likea broken record. "_Mère_…"

"You keep calling me that…am I really—are you truly my little Trae?"

"Yes…a thousand times over, yes. I am your son."  
Unable to fully process all the finer details but knowing his words were true, I cried into his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck and didn't move. It could have been because the little boy I saw in my memories was so young that seeing him become a man made me cry so hard. Then again it could be because I'd forgotten him entirely that it broke my heart not seeing him grow up myself made the waterworks happen.

"I'm here now _Mère_…you no longer have to fret of anything." Holding tightly as I managed to calm down enough, it was still unbelievable. "All those subliminal images in your mind have been conveying your desire to remember. If we continue this way you will recall everything you've lost."

"Trae…you've grown," this passive feeling in me missing his childhood loomed in my soul. There was nothing I could do to change this fact. I took my hand and ran it down his hair and was transfixed on his features. "You look otherworldly with your hair this long. Someone could really mistake you for a painting if you dress so old fashioned." Teasing him, seeing his smiling laughter, the small dimple as he looked fondly down at me, this was the missing piece of me that I felt before. Why I felt such emotions upon seeing Riku.

"_Père_ will be ecstatic hearing this. Also," he got up and left the room and returned with something in hand in seconds. He was so quick about it that it took a few moments to register the speed he'd possessed to have done this. "_Mère, _this gift was given to me by _Père_ two decades ago when I reached adulthood. He says this gift was from you when you believed to remain human and long past before I reached of age to receive it." He opened the intricate box and revealed a small brooch with a delicate picture fixated in the center of the emerald jewel. "I've kept this close to me…missing you each day as time passed without knowing what really happened to you. To see you now, time completely escaping you, alive and here before me brings me joy like no other."  
I gingerly got up and approached Trae while looking at the brooch. Fond feelings swelled up and I smiled seeing my past self having gone the extra mile into making this and being sure it was perfect in every way. There was no doubt about anything here, nor the way my memories have been flooding back and restoring themselves being here. I needed to know more.

"Trae, when can I see Solomon? There are so many questions and I just don't know how to process everything at once."

"Everything will fall into place accordingly. Please don't fret. _Père_ will return home as soon as his business is finished and he'll answer all the questions you want."

"…then…then can we do something together? Somewhere that isn't this maze of a place?"  
He looked at something that told me enough that's where the camera was at that monitored me. Trae held a serious expression for only a moment before facing me with kind gesture and taking my hand in his.

"Then allow me to chaperone you. It's been a rather long time since you've returned to Paris, the streets will not be the same as they once were."

"Has everything really changed that much?!"  
He chuckled to my outburst and led me through the hidden door. The rooms I knew of that were maze-like was really part of a large laboratory. We were inside a building that looked so much like a hospital that I was really confused about being placed in such a room just to monitor me.

"_Monsieur_ Trae!" Van exclaimed. Nearly dropping his board and having to push his glasses up, he stumbled when he approached. "We have no clearance for the _mademoiselle_ to leave this facility."

"I will take the front Van, please finish the remaining tasks and bring the files to my office."

"_Monsieur_ Trae, there is much to do that remains and I truly believe it best that she remains here for closer evaluation."

"If something is amiss I will confide in you." Being slick with his words as Van became more troubled it was amusing to me to find such a side to Trae. The more I watched I felt that I was getting a little closer to him and at least able to fill some of the void of the years I've missed.

"Hah…_mademoiselle_, please take these." Exasperated as he handed a pill bottle to me, he began to explain. "If you experience any severe headache or a moment of dizziness please take one pill and it should regulate you. If this does nothing to subside the pain for you then please return to me immediately." Van was being quite serious but also very polite explaining this to me and I extended a hand to shake his with. "What's this?"

"A handshake, thank you for helping me regain some of my memories and monitoring me. Though I still have quite a few questions and certain qualms of everything happening, I do have you to thank for keeping me in check."  
Taking my hand and gently shaking it before he dismissed himself.

"_Mère,_ shall we take our leave and begin our exploration of Paris?"

"Oh, yes!"


	16. To Be Whole Again pt4

O~O~O

Paris has indefinitely changed over the years since last I walked these cobblestoned streets. Every building had aged, been torn down and made anew, fading colors yet retaining a splendor all on their own like aged wine. Trae was the most talkative boy I've ever met. His childhood alongside Solomon and the others, meeting Diva after her slumber when he was older, how he grew slowly at first but became older in months before his time stopped. Seeing him he looked no older than a 24 year old fresh to the world and starting his life. Yet the boy before me was indeed a grown man who will forever stay young for all eternity.

"Tell me of your journey with Haji." He was abrupt when asking. Staring out at the café's while tidying his hair from the wind, I wasn't sure where to really begin. "You can start when you first met him…or how you came to be." As though reading my mind, it was cute.

"Well…it's a strange feeling and a rather odd tale, would you still be interested hearing about it?"

"I would." He leaned against the stone arch and waved to passing girls giggling in the distance. Seeing him as such a charmer made me laugh to the spectacle. "What?"

"Who would have thought my son would be a womanizer."

"I am not!" He burst out without any mannerisms and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't rile me up _M__ère, _it's unfair."

"Hehe. Let's take a seat then and I will tell you about my journey with Haji and all that I've done."

O~O~O

_Before meeting Haji there was nothing but a quiet darkness that engulfed me. Always feeling cold, hearing nothing but my own misguided thoughts. Time seemingly didn't exist in that realm. No matter what I thought, no matter how I urged myself to move I felt myself breaking into pieces little by little. What brought me to that state was alien and frightening. The last thing I had felt before being trapped in that place was my heart being clutched. A feeling I couldn't grasp as I choked for air, but I held onto something far stronger than death it seemed.  
A warmth began to thaw me._

_When my body began to respond and allow any kind of movement, a ravenous hunger hit me.  
I was starving.  
The moment I opened my eyes I saw an orange glow before smelling it…something that curved my appetite and I saw a figure but only went after the smell. Lunging at an arm to drink my fill I could feel the fogginess dissipate. Before gaining any sanity over what I was doing to a person I felt my mind slowly empty itself and then there was nothing._

"_M__ère _that sounds lonely and full of pain…" Trae took hold of my hand and slowly brushed his thumb across my fingers. A gentle touch.

"At the time there was only the thought of food and survival. The moment I drank Haji's blood I felt that darkness go away and didn't feel so cold anymore."

"Then the memory loss…?"

"It happened the moment I stopped drinking. My eyes became focused and it happened so quickly… there wasn't even a chance for me to gather any thought other than to quench my thirst and ease the hunger pains."

_As my lips parted from the arm and seeing a man with a disheveled and surprised look on his face to what transpired, everything began to clear up in my vision and the hunger sated. Haji was clearly on guard for he was ready to attack me if I went after his life, but when he saw how confused and scared I was he softened and instead just looked after me._

_Haji was a kind man who didn't force anything onto me. As he asked for information to who I was I could only recall my own name._

"Your name…that was truly all you could recall? Nothing before you met _P__ère_ or even your parents?"

"Konella was all I could remember being and that was it. Everything else about myself was more questions and confusing dreams for years. Honestly if it wasn't for Haji I probably would have died in the snow all alone without anyone able to find me."

"_M__ère_ that is so sad to hear…to think all this time you've been fighting such a loss in your own heart all this time without understanding what it was you were missing."

"My travels were not all bad Trae. I traveled the world and saw a great deal of culture and experienced great wonders around the world thanks to him. Though it was a wonderful journey there was always a nagging feeling that I was not where I was supposed to be. Haji was benevolent to me and even trained me to defend myself against the chiropterans. Spoke of Saya and his duty of servitude. Where he came from and how he came to be. Sure the void was there always reminding me there was something missing, but I never dwelled too hard on it to disrupt what I was living."

"You are so very strong _M__ère_. The years I've gone missing you always on my mind and not once did I think you were truly gone. _P__ère_ never gave up. Somehow we knew you were still alive but could never venture out to search for you."

"What stopped you from trying?"  
He hesitated answering, which caught my full attention and I sat up to look at him properly.

"As chevalier's we are sworn to protect Diva at all times and be by her side. Never permitted to leave a Queen's side without her consent."  
Something in the way he phrased his words felt wrong somehow. He was hiding something.

"_P__ère _was brave at one point when he wished to scour all of Russia for you. Stood up to Diva to allow himself to leave her side so he may search, she lost her temper and ripped his arm and wing off."

"What?!"

"…" he looked away and I took hold of his face to look back at me.

"Why would she harm him?! Her own chevalier!"  
A ringing in my ears began to erupt but I shoved it back and continued on.

"That doesn't make any sense Trae…why would she refuse to allow him to search for me if he felt I was alive? That would mean she—"  
The ringing intensified and my head swelled with pain that dropped me to my knees. Images overfilled my vision like a swarm of bees and I couldn't focus my eyes on anything.

"_M__ère_!"

Between Trae calling out for me and the ringing in my ears drowning all other sound out, the images kept filing into my line of sight until falling on that day of my wedding. 

_Musical instruments played gently in the background as Solomon took my hand to dance, gently pulling me into the center to swirl me around the snow. An operatic voice so beautifully strong hung in the air as I looked to see Diva singing. Amshel enjoying his glass of wine, admiring the scenery. Nathan conducting the symphony. Karl entertaining guests._

"My head is…splitting…!" The pain overwhelming as the images did not let up, it came to another part of the same day but there was no music, but the feeling of someone stabbing me in the back and grabbing my heart was imminent.

"Who…stabbed me?"

"_M__ère?_"

O~O~O

As Konella lost consciousness to the pain and murmuring her question about being stabbed, Trae gently picked her up and quickly left the streets to return to Van. Her words lingering on his mind and having doubts her disappearance was not a coincidence at all he quickened his pace and made it back to the facility.

"_Monsieur_ Trae what has happened?" Van asked quickly, alarmed by the spectacle.

"She must have seen another flashback, but this seemed far worse to recall than the others. Please get her examined to be sure she was not harmed."

"Of course, right away!" Quickly calling for others to retrieve Konella and place her on a bed and hooked up to the scanners, Van rubbed the back of his head with a troubled expression. "This is quite troubling…the readings are showing signs of slipping into a coma if she has another episode of that scale once more."

"A coma? But amnesia shouldn't be this harsh on anyone, much less having them slip into a coma!"

"_Monsieur_ I understand your frustration but the readings don't lie. She must remain here until she can cope with the amount of information she is regaining."

"…I will let my father hear of this and let you get to work." Leaving reluctantly and heading to the main office he could hear Van's troubled sigh before the doors shut and felt his own worries surface. "_M__ère…_"


	17. Daunting Thoughts

**Daunting Thoughts**

Paris France, 1928.

"Trae, my little one, look." Holding up a pendant carved with her initials with a small engraving on the inside, she kissed her baby's forehead fervently. "When you are older and I am no longer around, you'll have this to think of my love for you." Cooing to him, trying to smile without showing her own sadness, it was hard. "I wonder if you'll be like your father growing up…perhaps a little of me wouldn't be so bad either…" creating fond fantasies of what he would be in the future, the door chimed to someone coming in. "Solomon?" Being rather early for his return, she looked around the corner and saw no one.

"Pardon the intrusion," hearing Nathan from the kitchen, scaring her half to death, Trae began to cry from her jumping so suddenly. "Oh my," Nathan came and swooped Trae from her arms to calm the boy. "No need for such fuss little one, no one's scary here."

"I beg to differ." Calmed down enough to speak, she wanted to know why the sudden visit. "Nathan, were we scheduled to meet today? Did I miss an appointment?"

"No, nothing of the like other than my whims to see your darling son."  
Unlike Amshel and Diva who she barely met once before, Nathan was far more likeable. He was easy to speak with and adored Trae the day he was born. Solomon spoke of Nathan several occasions before hand to prepare me for his unique bearing, but I found him to be an endearing uncle.

"Konella dear, do you feel unwell? Any discomfort as of late with the new diet since giving birth?" Asking such a personal question, it was awkward to say.

"The diet has been working well enough for me as of late. I only found it uncomfortable in the beginning when drinking the wine Solomon recommended."

"Is the taste not desirable?"

"At first, no. Rather bitter in the beginning and hard to drink."

"And how is it now?"

"Hmm," thinking about it now and drinking the wine a little over a year now, it has begun to be more delectable. "Now that you mentioned it Nathan, the wine seems to taste better than it did before. Did Solomon perhaps change the taste and add something to it?"

"You could say that. Running the vineyard and preparing delicious wine is our little goal for the future."

"It's very good now, but I never would have thought about it since I drink it daily." Laughing to herself and sensing Nathan was quite satisfied with my answer, he placed Trae in the play pin and wanted to have a word with me.

"I know of your troubles my dear…" patting her hand gently, "the photographs, paintings, special carvings…being mortal to a being such as us is quite frightening."

"…not frightening, just sad." He was surprised by her words. "I love Solomon and Trae deeply no matter what they are. Trae will have his father always and though being a memory is lonely to think about, it won't be wasteful." She got up and picked up a small wooden box. "I can create so many memories to last however many years we have together and to have something left behind for them both to cherish. Nathan, you have been a wonderful uncle to Trae, therefore he will have two loving people forever with him as he grows up."

"Do you have doubt's the tincture will fail?"

"I know Solomon brought up the chance of immortality to me to me on my birthday, but the slightest chance it could fail is scary." Trying to put up a brave front, Nathan understood all too well her worries.

"I do believe you will pull through and become immortal my dear. Solomon has been quite diligent in his efforts and I do believe it to be working."  
Somehow making it seem he knew something more about this, she let it go and sat back down.

"I heard the proposal he did was also quite elaborate." Changing the subject and looking at her ring shimmering on her finger, she smiled brightly and showed it to him. "Beautiful."

"He told me it was his mother's wedding ring. Every time I look at it I feel so warm and cared for."

"As you should," Nathan was fawning over the ring as well as how Konella reacted that he searched the kitchen for the wine. "I want to have a celebratory drink with you darling!"

"I'd like that," laughing to his antics, "the wine is in the cupboard on the top. Solomon placed it too high for me to reach."

"Silly boy," he chortled. "No shelf is too high for me!"  
The tinkling of glass and popping the cork off the bottle was heard through the house as Nathan enjoyed a drink with Konella. Sharing stories and reminiscing youth that the time just seemed limitless between the two.

"My darling, what if I were to tell you that your transformation to becoming immortal has been established?" His smile daunting her thoughts, she didn't want to believe him if he was inebriated.

"Nathan as much as that would please me to hear, Solomon has yet to administer the blood to me."

"But he has."

"Pardon?"  
He began explaining to her the wine and having the blood mixed into the drink would help acclimate the body to Diva's blood. Sharing the fact that because Trae was conceived between her and Solomon, part of a chevalier's DNA was already inside of her.

"Have you not noticed that your age has slowed? No changes to your body aging the slightest bit, seemingly untouched after Trae's birth?"

"…the diet that was proposed to me then—"

"Specially created with DELTA-67. Consuming it naturally into your body without breaking you. Of course, Solomon was against my idea, but here we are, a year in and you are still alive."

"I could have died! You took that risk?"

"You are an anomaly to me my dear. A human who loves a monster and lived to bring a newfound life without being a Queen. It's never been done, never recorded in all of our history." Seemingly dark as he spoke, he leaned forward and placed the wine glass down. "I'm eager to see how you will turn out and if my little princess will come to accept you into our little circle."

"Nathan…" scared for the first time of him, there was something dangerous of Nathan that exceeded the others. "Solomon spoke of you showing up during his time he became a chevalier. You act quite differently compared to Amshel and Karl."

"…you're quite smart Konella. Diva is my little princess of a Queen as well as Saya. I cherish them both equally."

"Would that make you their sire then?"

"…" he didn't speak when she said it, but the silence was enough of an answer for her to realize Nathan was not Diva's chevalier, but perhaps her own father with the previous Queen. Though she wished to delve more into the past with him he was finished with his visit and stood up to look over at Trae who had fallen asleep in his pin.

"I wonder if you can become one of us. Will your will be stronger than death itself or let your mortality get the best of you?" Taking his leave quietly as she sat in silence of what's already been done to her, she felt neither anger or fear, just confusion and loneliness that Solomon never mentioned it to her to begin with.

~oOo~


	18. Pieces Come Together

**Pieces Come Together**

Entering the waiting room to his father's office that overlooked the streets of Paris, he contemplated heavily on his mother's words she murmured.

_Who stabbed me?_  
Thinking carefully how to bring this up to his father, there was a theory he once heard his father speak of years back that could have led to Konella's disappearance. A chance he would have to take initiative on if it's true.

"Come in"  
Hearing his father's summoning and entering the office quietly and being sure they were alone, he shut the doors and locked it before facing Solomon.

"How was she?" He asked warmly while sorting through documents, he looked up briefly only to wonder why the mood was so serious.

"…she's well, but her disposition is still frail." Hesitating on continuing his thoughts, Solomon already sensed something was amiss. "She had an episode in town while we were discussing how she traveled. She was fine but suddenly she remembered something and her head began to hurt. She said some concerning things though before she blacked out…"

"What did she say?" Anguish in his voice but more intent on what was spoken, Solomon waited impatiently by his desk.

"She mentioned stabbing? You mentioned years ago that she was taken away from you unnaturally. I barely recall anything that time so I don't remember everything that happened then."

"…the moment we finished our vows and had our first dance she asked me to give her a moment to say goodbye to her mortal self." Hurt, filled with anguish as he spoke, he didn't want to think about that time but knew it was needed to be spoken. "You were in my arms enjoying our newfound lives together when Karl called out saying she was gone."

"Father…what do you think truly happened now hearing her ask about being stabbed?"

"That we are no longer safe being here." Making it clear his findings of her vanishing were true, he walked across the room and looked out the window with determined eyes. "I want you to not leave your mother's side for any reason. Diva and brother Amshel are no longer to be trusted now that I have found her."

"But we are linked to Diva…you especially cannot escape her so easily."

"I chose Konella over Diva that day I made my vows and without hesitation. Doing so again without them will be a simple matter."

"Then I must return to her side and guard her then." Panic as she was alone with Van, Solomon grabbed his arm.

"If it comes to her safety, use Saya and Haji."

"How?"

"They wanted her back, believing she belonged to Saya's side. If matters here are worse than they are then use them as a shield against Diva and the others."

"And uncle Nathan?"

"No…he will not indulge in the matter. Be quick, brother Amshel should not know of Konella being brought here and neither should anyone else."

"I'll do what I can."

"Protect your mother, and I will meet with you when I'm able."  
Trae quickly took leave from the office to return to the lab. Solomon hurriedly went back to work and began working on his secondary life plan if he ever found Konella. Years of planning paying off, he had to work quickly and silently if he were to be with his family and not being Diva into his life any longer.

"I'll have to speak with Karl for a personal favor since he knows of Konella…" speaking to himself as he gathered his things before departing the office he took one last glance of his surroundings and how little personal items he left in here. Forever believing Konella would return to him, together once more.


	19. Pieces Come Together Pt2

_~oOo~_

_"Konella you must straighten your back while holding the cello or you will drop it." Haji spoke while tending to Saya's katana._

_"You make it look easy holding this thing while I have short arms and can barely grasp it!" Struggling to keep a tight grip while holding the bow, he chuckled lightly before coming to assist. "You're a terrible teacher Haji...who even taught you how to play?"  
He stopped for a moment before touching the cello and gave a deep sigh. "Saya taught me when I was young."_

_"…she must have lacked communication skills considering how you don't talk too much." Teasing him as he ruffled her hair, he put the cello away in the case and looked in the direction he wished to continue towards. "So, Haji, it's been a couple years now and all we've done is walk place to place, rarely settling down for any time and then wondering off again. Do you have a set destination or is this going to be the routine?"  
He contemplated her words carefully before answering and gave a wry smile._

_"It has been a dream of mine to explore the world. Waiting for Saya to awaken this is the only way to pass the time."_

_"Huh…never considered you an entrepreneur of sorts. Somehow it suits you…if you got rid of the stale suit and choose something with a little more fashion of the times though maybe people will stop staring at you." Teasing him yet again and walking the path to a new destination, the road they took was long but full of wonderful adventures. "Haji come on!"_

_~oOo~_

The monitors beeped in quick reps, alerting Van and the other scientist that she was slightly conscious for a moment. She laid motionless as they watched but could hear her speak in quiet whispers as though she was speaking to someone. Van began recording her to capture anything that may identify her for his research further before hearing Trae's return and postponing the activity.

"_Monsieur_ Trae, you've returned so soon."

"How is she?" Being briefed on her readings and finding nothing has changed since his leave, Trae seemed rushed in Van's eyes that worried him greatly to what the situation is.

"Van, you have her readings and blood samples when she was first retrieved right?"

"Of course," as though he could possibly miss the chance, Trae was thinking deeply before answering.

"I have a thought how to get her conscious again and possibly even stop the blackouts."  
His intention was perhaps pure, Van thought, but without gathering more data on her whatever his idea was posed a threat to her life.

"_Monsieur _Trae I'm sure the idea you will propose be efficient, but we hardly have any data on this woman to conjure any ideas of her memory loss."

"…like us she is immortal that requires blood from the Queen. But in her case she needs blood from her chevalier." Picking up a syringe to draw blood, he wrapped a cable round his arm and proceeded to inject the needle to draw his blood.

"_Monsieur!_" Van ran to stop him but failed to do so as he watched with horror what he was doing.

"Get the samples of her blood and inject my blood into it and watch what happens." Flinching to his actions as the syringe was given to Van. "My theory is this," stepping to the white board in the room he began writing his theory out. "DELTA-67 is Diva's blood unfiltered. Given in small dosing to humans makes the change to chiropterans much slower but more effective. My father unknowingly shared his DNA to Konella over the years and she was able to conceive me in a human body. With me inside of her she created antibodies to having a non-human child and developed her body to react to Diva's blood without difficulty. Father explained to me his own studies and what he did to convert Konella without changing her to a chiropteran and found that he—"

"_Monsieur _Trae, these findings, all what you are implying now and what we've uncovered these years means she is also—"

"A Queen."  
The room feel silent as Van shook with enlightened anticipation. A Queen born from a human rather than a monster was groundbreaking. His mind raced with countless theories and ways the human race could benefit from this before Trae approached Van and took his shoulders to look him in the eyes.

"If Diva discovers my mother being here she will hunt for her and kill her off."

"…it's instinctive." Van spoke out and walked away with a hand on his chin. "Queens are territorial no matter what animal kingdom they come from. If what you say is indeed true, the possibility is that Diva already knows she's here."

"How would that be so?"

"I've been studying your kind for two decades now _monsieur_. With her personality in play I do believe this little mouse of a Queen will be no match."

"…" Trae said nothing at first other than stare at his mother. She was still asleep, but her breathing seemed sporadic at times. The monitor was showing her dreaming of something, making her fluctuate from consciousness back to becoming dormant.

"Your blood here," Van interjected his thoughts and brought Trae back to the topic at hand. "Do you truly surmise that this will be enough to snap her memories back?"

"It's a theory I have, but I'm betting on it to work."

"Then let us take the leap of faith!"  
Van went through with the project and readied the samples on the table and carefully divided the blood in small dishes. First two being from their first encounter and the remaining samples of recent, he carefully dripped Trae's blood into each dish and studied the effects.  
The first two having no effect other than becoming a deeper red in color showed no other signs of change. On the other hand, he studied the newest samples, the blood absorbed Trae's as though feeding off it and multiplied!

"_Magnifique!_" Van expressed his excitement and brought Trae to have a look for himself. "The cells are healing themselves, converting your blood to her own and merging!"

"Then this will work?" Hopeful, Van nodded quickly and got the equipment ready to transfer the blood to Konella at once.

Quietly as Van injected Konella with Trae's blood into her arm he kept watchful of the monitor and the blood pressure levels. Slowly beeping, everything seemingly normal as her reading didn't change all that much to be an endangerment—he was wrong.  
It was quick.  
The monitor screen turned red immediately as her status fluctuated to a dangerous level that would result in her death. Her heart rate increased causing her to convulse while her blood pressure was dropping all too fast. Nothing made sense as there was no time to fix anything as they both held her down and tried to inject the morphine into her but only heard the dreaded sound of a flat heart rate.

"_Mère_!"  
Trae hugged her close, crying into his mother's shoulder for the thought of her dying by his hand was shattering him.

"_Mère please…please…_" he whispered with anguish thinking he killed her. Her body was no longer moving, so before Van could call the time he checked her pulse and found none.

"_Monsieur_ Trae…my apologies…"

"No…" broken as he held onto her, there was no use speaking further for what had happened. "I killed her…gods I…I killed my own mother…" devastated as he spoke it out loud while he placed Konella back on the bed to step away, Van looked her over once more with apologies before going to make the report.

**_Beep_**

The resounding sound of the heart monitor came back to life as both Trae and Van looked back to find Konella gasping for air. Trae ran to her first, knee on the ground and hand on her leg with unbelieving eyes she was alive after feeling her die in his arms. She didn't register his presence and continued gasping as though surfacing from the depths of the sea.

"_Mère_…?" Trae whispered tentatively.  
Opening her eyes and shocking them both for how her eyes glowed a bright green like shimmering emeralds even in the bright white light of the operation room. It made Van's blood run cold when her eyes fell on him for a second and he felt the need to surrender himself.

"_Mère_ no!" Trae got in-between Van and Konella quickly as he realized she was drawing him in to feed. Giving his arm to her in hopes to sate the hunger she didn't hesitate and bit him. "It worked…Van I truly believe it worked!"

"…she is drinking your blood…" finding the scene terrifying though he's witnessed countless horrors working for the Goldsmith family, somehow watching a woman who seemed defenseless turn to become one with great power was overwhelming.

"…Trae?" She uttered his name weakly.

"Are you alright?" Touching her face with a broad smile as she stopped to look around, her eyes returned to normal but there was a clarity in the way she looked that was not there before.

"I feel…different?" She questioned it, looking down at her hands and finding it hard to put her thoughts together. "Somehow I even feel…whole…"

"Do you hurt anywhere? How does your head feel?" Ignoring the blood running down his arm, there was nothing more relieving to him seeing her alive and moving.  
She stood up and looked at herself with a quizzical look and seemed different somehow as she stood there. She looked regal for merely just standing in the room, an air of that required those around her to be subservient.

"Trae…I remember it now…there's something both you and your father should know." She turned to face Trae and her eyes returned to becoming bright green as she narrowed into a glare with fists clenched. "Diva tried eliminating me." A scowl on her face as lights began to pop around her, she looked away and calmed herself before speaking again. "To think I coddled her as a mother figure…she resented what I'd become, what she made me into." Seething as she scowled and glared around the room, it took Trae a few minutes to calm her down before attempting anything further.

"Van, please take a sample of her blood and re-examine the previous samples you took." Trae asked.  
At first Konella rejected having Van anywhere near her for such acts but was given an explanation as to why it was needed. She only stopped resisting due to Trae's honesty and allowed Van to approach.

In doing so as he found it difficult to prick the woman's skin without bending the needle as well as enrage the woman, Konella was eerily calm. Quickly getting her blood drawn and going over to the examination table where the remaining vials of blood samples were at, he placed the new sample on a glass dish and under the microscope and exclaimed his findings.

"This is incredible!" Van glued himself to the discovery and was going back and forth between the two samples that he scribbled swiftly on any piece of paper to document what he found. "Her cells multiplied by the thousands and even overtook the old. The cellular structure is astounding to behold!"

"It's changed that much?" Trae walked over to have a look while Van tried explaining it in a way for him to understand the molecular structure he was seeing. Trae was engrossed in Van's descriptive words that neither of them realized Konella getting up and walking to a mirror at the far end of the room.  
She stood staring at herself, analyzing the reflection and touching her face to gander at her eyes that remained glowing in the dim light. Her entire world had changed drastically. Two realities of herself clashed, leaving her heart torn to who she was before and who she was now.

"I am Konella Goldsmith…" speaking to her reflection, calming her mind and having her eyes return to normal, she kept chanting her name to herself until regaining control.

"_Mère_?"

"Trae…" she turned and looked at her son fondly before making a decision what she should be doing next. "Where's our father?"


	20. Author's Spiel

Aloha everyone!

Ok, so at this point in the story is where a bunch of stuff is going to get intertwined and I must be sure that I don't post them out of order or get it all jumbled. So we are reaching a pinnacle point and it will be glorious!

I would love to hear from you and what you think for my random Blood+ fic. I'm writing this while I have the time to do so between jobs and adulting life lol So mahalo plenty everyone for reading and all the patience in the world ^_^


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